Timeless 4
by jakesgirl1001
Summary: Part 4 of the 18 part timeless story of Sam and Jake
1. Chapter 1

**TIMELESS 4**

**Chapter 1**

Two years passed slowly for Jake. When Sam had left for San Francisco, the part of Jake that had been a normal happy young man had left with her. Overnight he had gone from a normal almost fourteen year old to what his grandfather Mac called an old soul.

Jake spent his time with his filly Witch. He trained her until they were almost of one mind. They both were totally devoted to each other. In fact, Witch wouldn't let anyone else near her besides Jake. This didn't bother Jake a bit since he too didn't allow anyone close to him.

He still had his friends, but he tended to be standoffish or shy with those he didn't know. Jake wasn't interested in new friends or acquaintances. Jake wasn't interested in much besides his horse.

Jake had reluctantly gone on the annual camping trip with his brothers, but hadn't really enjoyed himself. Adam, Nate, Quinn and Bryan could all see it. Jake had been withdrawn even with them.

Adam, as the oldest, had tried to talk to Jake about what he was feeling, but Jake had blown him off. He didn't want to talk about it. Talking about it would make him vulnerable and Jake refused to be vulnerable ever again.

Adam had graduated from high school the following summer and his parents had bought him a bright red truck as his graduation gift. They had all hoped that Kit would return for his younger brother's party, but he hadn't.

Kit was doing well on the rodeo circuit and the whole town of Alkali followed his progress. He tried to call home regularly, but it was never enough for his mother Maxine.

Nate graduated from high school just this June and his parents had bought him a gray truck for his graduation. Kit didn't make it to Nate's graduation either, which had upset Maxine.

Bryan and Quinn would be seniors in high school when school started up again in the fall. Just as previous years, they were very popular with the girls in their class. Well actually, they were very popular with all the girls in the school, regardless of what class they were in.

Quinn had dated senior girls when he was just a sophomore as had Bryan. It had amused Adam and Nate. Jake however, was ambivalent as he was about everything these days. Everything except his horse and the horses he trained.

Wyatt Forster had been so impressed with Banjo, the horse that he had bought from Jake years before, that he had talked it over with Luke and hired Jake to train horses for him.

Wyatt and Jake would either take in other people's problem horses or go to auctions to buy horses, then train them and resell them for a large profit.

It hadn't taken long for Jake's reputation to spread throughout the county as a premier horseman at the young age of almost sixteen. He would be a junior in the fall, but was already known for his training ability and his tracking.

Jake tracked things for hours, sometimes days, on end. He would leave home on Witch and just go out and track, returning to his home whenever he was done. His parents knew he was a lost soul after losing Samantha the way he had and let him be.

Oh they worried about him, but knew he had to work through his grief and guilt in his own way.

It had been with trepidation that Maxine had told him that Sam was finally returning to Nevada after two years. Jake had looked at his mother, not giving her any sign of what he was thinking, and simply nodded.

Maxine had looked after him as he walked away and sighed. She wished she could just wrap her arms around him and let him know that everything would be all right, but there was no way Jake would tolerate such a thing, even from her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jake was at River Bend the day that Sam was due home. Though he would have denied it had anyone asked, he had wanted to be one of the first to see her when she arrived.

He still cared a lot about her, but two years was a long time. They were two totally different people now. Sam might not want to be his friend after what he had done to her.

If that were the case, he would bear it silently as he did everything else. In most cases, he had his emotions under tight control. It was one of the things he had learned in the two years that she had been gone.

Wyatt had gone to the airport to pick Sam up, but had gotten in a horse to train the day before. Jake used the horse as an excuse to be at River Bend.

The truck carrying Sam bumped over the bridge and Jake heard it, losing concentration on the horse whose back he was on. The paint mare seemed to realize it and used that instant to buck Jake off over her head.

Sam heard the commotion in the round pen and looked over that way, just in time to see someone go flying. She tore her eyes from the round pen and looked around the ranch yard that she hadn't seen in two years.

One of the first things she noticed was the big black horse tied at the hitching rail in the shade in front of the barn. For an instant, her heart beat double time in her chest thinking it was Blackie. Then she realized it was a mare.

It had to be Witch. If Witch was here…..

Jake.

Sam's mind went instantly to the boy who had been her best friend. She had missed him. Jake had been such a big part of Sam's life that his not being part of it for two years had felt like a gaping hole in her heart. She had missed her family, but it had been Jake and Blackie that she had missed the most.

Blackie. Dad refused to talk about her colt at all. As far as Sam knew, nobody had seen him since her accident or everyone had given up looking for him. Maybe Jake would know.

Sam got out of the truck and gave the border collie who had come out to greet her an absent pat, then wandered to the round pen. Climbing on one of the rails, she looked in and saw Jake sitting in the dirt. He was taking some good natured ribbing from Dallas, the ranch foreman who she recognized, and two cowboys she didn't.

Sam's first impression was that Jake was no longer a boy. As he turned his head towards her, his dark brown eyes pinning her lighter brown eyes, she could see the changes in him. Once she got past how handsome he was.

Sam blushed at the thought and banished it from her mind. Instead, she concentrated on the solemn, sad look in his dark eyes as he looked at her. Just as suddenly it was gone.

Sam was confused.

"Oh Jake, what's wrong?" Sam teased, trying to pretend that she hadn't seen the sadness.

Jake stood up, knocking his black Stetson against his leg to dislodge the dust clinging to it. He was almost smiling at her, but the smile never reached his almost black eyes. He settled his hat back on his black Shoshone hair and came towards her. He had grown out his hair. It looked to be down to the middle of his back.

"Well if it's not little Samantha," Jake drawled in his own teasing deep voice. When had his voice gotten so much deeper? "Still as skinny as a wet weasel."

Sam had met the new neighbor Linc Slocum on the way home and the man had called her "little lady" which Sam had hated. Jake's teasing insult made Sam feel all warm inside. Sam tucked that warmth back deep inside to possibly be brought out and examined later.

Jake had come out of the pen to stand next to her. The two had tentatively smiled at each other, ignoring the glances they earned from everyone else.

Jake had put one arm around her shoulder in a brotherly hug. He couldn't help himself. Sam leaned into him briefly before seeing Gram standing nearby.

"Now Jake, you let her get settled in before you start teasing her," Gram teased him.

Sam left Jake to be enveloped in a hug from Gram. Sam had to fight tears which threatened to spill over. She had missed home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"After supper you can meet your new horse," Dad told her.

"Ace," Sam murmured. Dad had told her about Ace on the way home.

"You're giving her Ace?" Jake was surprised.

Sam's eyes met his.

"Ace is smarter than both of us," Jake explained.

"I can ride him," Sam said, full of false bravado. In truth, since the accident she was afraid to ride.

Jake saw something in her eyes before she looked away again.

"Have you seen Blackie?" Sam asked him instead.

Jake ducked his head quickly, guilt washing over him. "No."

Sam frowned. Her colt seemed to have vanished into thin air.

When they finished lunch, Sam tried to make excuses not to go out and see and ride Ace.

"I need to unpack," Sam said.

"Why?" Jake asked. "You're not staying."

"What?" Sam's heart thudded in her chest. Were they sending her away again? Already? Had she failed some sort of test?

"We're going on roundup starting tomorrow," Gram explained, seeing the panicked look on Sam's face.

"Ten hours of riding," Jake smiled.

_Terrific_, Sam thought. Just what she needed or wanted.

"Come on," Jake tugged her arm.

Sam went out with him, reluctantly.

"I can't believe how great Witch looks," Sam told him. She looked up at him and saw his smile as he looked towards his mare.

"Yeah," Jake murmured.

As they neared the big black mare, she laid back her ears towards Sam. Sam took a step back and behind Jake for protection.

"She's a bit sassy," Jake shrugged.

"Gee, you think?" Sam peered out from behind Jake's back to look at the mare.

"You two should get along," Jake's tomcat lying in the sun grin spread over his face.

"I'm not sassy," Sam put her hands on her hips as she looked up at him. Gosh, when had he gotten so dang tall? She had to actually crane her neck to look up into his face.

Jake looked down at her, noting how small she was. She barely came up to his chest. He was a good foot taller than she was. She looked so fragile compared to him.

A faint smile tugged at his full lips. It was good to have her back. He hoped they could pick up their friendship where they had left off, but time would tell.

She had chopped off her hair. It looked almost punkish. He wondered at it, wondering if she had become someone he wouldn't know.

He knew he had changed in the two years she had been away and not just physically. Jake knew that Sam probably had changed too while she had been gone. He wasn't sure what those changes were yet and whether or not she blamed him for her accident, as he blamed himself.

"You're so sad," Sam blurted out, then covered her mouth with her hand.

Jake looked away quickly.

"There's Ace," he pointed, trying to draw her attention away from him.

Sam pulled her eyes from his blanked out expression to look to where he was pointing.

Ace was scrawny. She would bet he was barely 14.2 hands high. Of course, she was pretty scrawny too. If Jake tried to ride Ace, she'd bet his boot heels would drag on the ground.

Sam snorted, earning a glance from Jake.

"He's a good horse," Jake assured her.

"Here Ace," Sam smooched to him. Ace turned his head. Jake chuckled.

"He's pretty smart too," Jake said. "He knows you don't really have anything for him."

"I just wanted to say hi," Sam murmured.

"Come on, let's get him tacked up," Jake started towards the barn.

Sam dragged her feet. She hadn't really ridden since her accident and didn't really want to let anyone know how afraid she was.

Jake looked back at her once, a questioning look upon his handsome face. Sam looked away, shaking her head slightly. She had to stop thinking that way. So far, Jake had only been polite. The two of them were like strangers trying to determine whether or not they actually wanted to be friends or part company.

Sam felt a pain in her chest as Jake handed her Ace's tack. It had nothing to do with the weight of the saddle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sam felt like a fish out of water as she rode along.

Yesterday, Ace had run away with her in the pasture. Thankfully Jake or Dad hadn't seen it. She wondered if Dad would have forced her to ride in the white van with Gram if he had.

Today when she had arrived at the staging area before roundup she had been greeted by Jake's brothers. She cried when she saw them again. They all looked so big and strong. She hadn't realized how much she had missed them until she had seen them.

Quinn had been the first she had seen. My gosh, he was huge! He picked her up and hugged her tightly to him and Sam had burst into tears. She had thrown her arms around his neck and held on. Quinn had whispered how much he had missed her before passing her onto his twin.

Bryan had kissed her before hugging her to his chest. Sam felt like a blubbering fool as she wept in his arms. If she had picked her head up from his shoulder, she would have seen the wetness in Bryan's eyes too.

Nate murmured to her as she cried against his chest next.

"My gosh, look how big you are, Sammy," Nate told her.

Sam bit back a laugh. They were the ones who were so big! She felt like the shrimp that they had always called her.

"I missed you," Sam sobbed against Nate.

"I missed you too, Sammy," Nate kissed her cheek.

Adam looked so much older to Sam since the last time she had seen him. Even though he was a man of almost 21, he held Sam tight against him as she bawled like a baby.

"Oh, I've missed my little sister," Adam's deep voice boomed in her ear.

"I've missed you guys so much," Sam wept.

"I bet you forgot all about us," Quinn teased.

"No, I didn't," Sam vowed. "I bet you didn't even think about _me_ while I was gone."

"Not true," Quinn shook his head as Adam put her down. "I thought about you a lot. Remember our bet?"

"Yes I remember our bet and I'm still winning," Sam wiped her eyes.

"Still not kissed, huh?" Bryan murmured, looking over to where Jake was saddling Witch.

"Still won't be two years from now," Sam said.

"Till you get to kiss me," Quinn grinned.

Sam rolled her eyes but they all knew how happy she was.

"What happened to your hair?" Bryan had to ask.

Sam ran her hand over her short hair and grimaced. She had chopped off her ponytail in an attempt to look older. Instead she thought she looked like an idiot. An idiot with a bad haircut.

They all saw the grimace as she shook her head.

"Better get Ace saddled," Jake told her and just like that, they all saw her frown. They looked at each other as Sam went to get her tack. Then when his brothers glanced at Jake, he shrugged. He had no idea why Sam had reacted that way either.

It wasn't until Sam was putting the saddle on Ace that she noticed her neighbor Linc Slocum was also on roundup. Sam frowned over Ace's back as she tightened the cinch. She really didn't know him, but something about him made her not like him.

Maybe it was thinking about Linc that caused her not to pay close attention to what she was doing. She knew to recheck the cinch before trying to mount, but didn't.

To her utter embarrassment, she stuck her boot in the stirrup and the saddle turned sideways on her horse. She heard the laughs from some of Slocum's cowboys and felt the blush on her face.

She felt rather than saw Jake coming up behind her.

"Don't," she hissed at him.

Jake backed off, but his brothers saw the hurt look upon his face when he did. Then Jake blanked out his expression and went to mount his mare.

Sam muttered to herself under her breath as she righted the saddle, tightened the cinch and then mounted her horse. She wouldn't look at anyone as she joined the rest of them, but she knew her face was still flaming red. She had so much to relearn.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"How's everything goin'?" Jake asked, passing her a bottle of water.

"Fine," Sam snapped, pulling Ace away from Witch who snapped at her gelding.

Jake gave her a look, but Sam wouldn't look at him. He could see the faint blush on her face.

"You'll be okay once you remember everything," Jake murmured softly to her.

"I'm glad you're that confident," Sam retorted.

Jake looked away as he flinched. She seemed so angry at him anymore.

"Listen Brat," Jake said. "I'm sorry for what happened two years ago."

That got Sam's attention and her head snapped around.

"It wasn't your fault," Sam responded.

"Yes it was," Jake insisted.

"No Jake it wasn't," Sam continued. "It was an accident."

"An accident I caused," Jake countered.

The two of them stared at each other for a few moments.

"Please don't," Sam had to whisper, she was becoming overcome with emotion.

Jake just shook his head and looked away.

"We can't do it can we?" Sam murmured.

"Do what?" Jake asked not looking at her.

"Still be friends," Sam answered.

Jake pulled up Witch in surprise.

"You don't want to be friends?" Jake yelped.

Sam reined in Ace.

"I want nothing more than that," Sam told him. "It doesn't seem like you want to be."

Jake rubbed his neck, shaking his head.

"That's not true," he murmured.

"Then what is going on?" Sam wondered.

Jake's dark eyes met hers and he let her see the sadness and yes, the loneliness he had felt. Sam saw it all and had to look away or be consumed by it.

"Oh Jake," Sam whispered. "I hated that I had to leave. I felt like my heart was being ripped out when they forced me to."

"I understand," Jake nudged Witch into a walk again.

"Can we start over?" Sam asked. "Can we still be friends after all this time?"

Their eyes met searchingly.

"I think so," Jake told her.

Sam felt the wetness in her eyes, but she smiled a brilliant smile, truly happy that they could still be friends.

Jake saw the beautiful young woman that she had become. The beautiful young woman that he had guessed she would grow up to be.

Her smile touched his heart as nothing had since she had been sent to San Francisco. Sam saw it in his eyes and had to look away or start bawling again.

"Tell me about Slocum," Sam said, trying to lighten the mood between them.

Sam looked up at him and was sorry she had asked. Jake's eyes had turned almost black, signifying he was upset and angry.

"He thinks he can buy anything with his money," Jake complained.

"He strikes me as the type," Sam nodded.

"Watch yourself around him," Jake warned, looking down at her.

"Watch myself how?" Sam asked.

Jake shrugged. "I just get bad feelings when he's around."

What was that supposed to mean? Was he a child molester or something? Sam was going to ask, but balked when she saw the hard look on Jake's face.

Jake was definitely not the boy she had left behind. If she didn't know him, she would have been afraid of him.

Of course, did she really know Jake anymore?


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Your legs might be a bit rubbery," Jake warned her as she was about to dismount from her horse later.

"I'll be fine," Sam assured him.

"Suit yourself," Jake grinned at her.

Sam couldn't help but grin back at him. Until her feet hit the ground and her knees buckled.

"Careful," Jake's hand cupped her elbow, helping her to stay on her feet.

"What's the matter?" one of Slocum's cowboys sneered. "The little dude can't stand on her own two feet?"

Both Sam and Jake turned towards the speaker. All Jake knew is that his name was Flick. He had been working for Slocum for a couple of years and in the past had ridiculed Jake's and his brothers' heritage.

Sam opened her mouth to retort, but Jake shook his head.

"Just get your gear and go get something to eat," Jake stripped the tack off of Witch and turned her loose into the remuda.

"What's the matter, Injun?" the man asked as Jake headed towards the tent he shared with his brothers.

Though it was hard, Jake ignored him. He had to otherwise he was afraid of the damage that he would do to the man.

"What's going on?" Adam asked his youngest brother when he saw Jake's face.

"Flick," Jake shrugged.

"Still?" Nate asked.

"Again," Jake said, putting his tack down near his sleeping bag.

"How's Sammy?" Quinn asked.

"Hurting," Jake answered.

"Hurting?" Bryan wondered, concerned about the girl he considered his little sister.

"I don't think she's used to riding this much," Jake explained.

"Ah, rubber legs," Quinn grinned.

The other three chuckled.

"How are things going with her, Jakey?" Nate looked at his brother.

"What do you mean?" Jake looked confused.

"You and her," Nate clarified. "Still doing okay?"

"I guess," Jake rubbed the back of his neck.

"Give it time, Jake," Adam told him. "You two have been separated for two years. You're both bound to be feeling each other out, seeing what's changed."

"I'd like to see Jake feeling her out," Quinn joked.

Jake raised his head, glaring at Quinn.

"Quinn," Bryan hissed and hit his twin's shoulder.

"So to speak," Quinn continued, his grin spreading over his facial features.

"Let's get some dinner," Nate said, stepping between Jake and Quinn. He put his hand on Jake's shoulder and turned him towards the door of the tent.

"Quinn's just trying to get a rise out of you," Nate murmured to Jake as they left the tent.

"I know," Jake told him.

They grabbed a couple of plates and started loading food onto them. Nate saw Sam already sitting on the ground near the fire, eating by herself.

"Let's join Sammy," Nate indicated the young woman.

Jake looked over and saw the fire playing off her auburn hair, making it look like it was lit from within. She felt his gaze and looked up, the fire shining in her eyes.

"So Ely, is that your little girlfriend?" Flick asked as Nate and Jake joined Sam.

Sam picked up her head to look at the man across the fire from her. Why was he saying that to Jake?

"She's all our girlfriend," Quinn winked at Sam as he sat down nearby.

Sam's mouth almost fell open. She heard Bryan snort as he also sat down.

"She's mine tonight though, right?" Bryan asked.

"Until midnight, then I get her," Quinn told his twin.

"Knock it off," Jake muttered under his breath.

"You're just upset that you don't get her tonight," Quinn grinned at Jake.

"Oh for…" Jake rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I expect nothing less from your kind," Flick sneered.

"What?" Sam hissed towards Jake.

"Ignore him, he's a bigot," Jake told her.

The only other bigot Sam could remember was the man who had verbally attacked her and Jake at the fair all those years ago. It had been the first time she had gone anywhere with the Ely family and each and every one of them had treated her as family. More than most people would have done with a lonely little neighbor girl.

Sam met his eyes and Jake nodded, also remembering.

"How little were we?" Sam smiled.

"You were about the same size you are now," Jake grinned at her.

Sam punched his arm and both of them froze. Then they looked at each other again. The fire made both of their brown eyes glow. Ever so slightly their lips twitched. Sam was back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Who is that guy?" Sam asked later.

"Flick," Jake told her. "He works for Slocum. He's been harassing me and my brothers for a couple of years now."

"Why?"

"Who knows," Jake shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't like guys with dark hair."

"When did you grow out your hair?" Sam wondered.

She heard Jake's sigh.

"Right after," he answered.

"So you haven't had a haircut in two years?" Sam asked.

"No," Jake responded. "When did you cut yours?"

"Just before I came back," it was Sam's turn to sigh.

"Why?"

"Because I'm stupid," Sam groaned.

"Relax, Brat," Jake told her. "It will grow back."

Sam couldn't believe that she had actually missed being called Brat. Of course, she would punch out anyone else who ever called her that, but Jake had always used the word affectionately. Well he hadn't at first, but it had evolved that way.

"What are you thinking about?" Jake could see that she was miles away.

Sam's lips twitched into a smile. "About how much I missed you calling me Brat."

Jake bit back a laugh. "Really?"

"I missed you a lot," Sam told him. "I couldn't wait to come home."

She looked up at him. "You haven't seen Blackie?"

"No," Jake shook his head. "Though I'll admit I haven't really looked for him."

"Why not?" he could hear the anger in her voice.

"He almost killed you," Jake returned, the anger rising in his voice.

"It was an accident," Sam ground out.

"An accident that was my fault," Jake retorted.

"It wasn't your fault," Sam shouted, throwing her hands in the air.

"Then whose fault was it?" Jake wanted to know.

"Nobody's," Sam told him. "It was an accident. Accidents happen sometimes without it being anyone's fault."

Jake looked away and shook his head.

"Jake," he felt Sam's hand on his arm. It felt like he was being burned. He looked down at her.

"It wasn't your fault," Sam almost whispered. "Please don't think it was your fault. Jake, I couldn't stand it."

"I can't help it, Samantha," Jake pulled his arm out of her hand and disappeared into the night.

"How are you doing, honey?" Dad appeared next to her.

Sam sighed.

"You'll get the hang of it," Dad encouraged her. "Everything is just new for you again."

"Jake and his brothers are helping," Sam told him.

"That's good," Dad said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Check with Dallas on what shift you have tonight."

"Why can't you just tell me?" Sam asked.

"Dallas is in charge of the shifts," Dad answered.

"Okay," Sam sighed. "Maybe by the time this is over I'll remember everything."

"You've only been back for a couple of days," Dad reminded her. "It will come back to you."

He gave the top of her head a kiss and left her.

"I hope so," Sam whispered, not so sure.

She wandered back to camp to find Dallas. Sam saw him talking to Gram and moved closer.

"Hey Sam," Dallas greeted her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," she sounded tired even to herself. "Dad said I should check with you on what shift I'm on tonight."

"Maybe you shouldn't have a shift tonight," Gram suggested, looking at Dallas.

Sam shook her head. "If I'm going to fit in here again, I need a shift like everyone else."

Dallas gave her an approving look. "Take the first shift, then you can sleep the rest of the night."

"Okay," Sam nodded. "Thanks Dallas."

"Sam, you left your gear out near the remuda," Jake told her as she walked towards the van where she would sleep with Gram.

"So?"

"You need to stow your gear where you can grab it," Jake reminded her. "You don't drop it on the ground and just leave it."

"Fine," Sam snapped, turning around and heading towards the remuda to get her tack.

She was only back for a few days and Jake was already bossing her around again. It was like she had never left. Sam's steps faltered and a smile broke out upon her face. She was almost whistling as she went forward.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Sam circled the herd on her nighthawking shift. It was boring, but she knew it had to be done. She would never complain about it. She was just happy to be home at this point. Even if her thighs and butt were screaming out in protest at how many hours she was spending in the saddle.

Suddenly Ace stopped and snorted into the night. She heard another horse snort in answer. She wondered if it were one of the other cowboys' horses. She glanced at her watch and noted that she still had hours yet before the next shift would begin.

Ace started dancing under her and she tried to control him. She saw a flash of white in the moonlight and a strange horse came galloping at her and Ace. Ace changed directions despite the pulling back that Sam was doing on the reins. The horses were running away with her.

Nothing she did would slow Ace down. She clung to the saddle horn, then muttered to herself, letting go of the horn to grab a handful of black mane.

The light gray horse bumped her leg and Sam chanced looking over at it. She had only seen the perfection of its head and ears in just one other horse.

"Blackie?" she squeaked out, not recognizing her voice at all. Then she muttered to herself again.

"Zanzibar," she said the horse's secret name and was answered by a nicker.

Oh gosh, could this wild horse be her beloved colt? She was sure she had seen this horse on her trip in from the airport, but had thought he had been a figment of her imagination.

Sam had no choice but to hang on and go where ever the horses took her. Their hooves rang on stone as they seemed to climb through the switchbacks of the foothills.

She saw the gray duck his head and Sam ducked hers. A second later, she felt the coldness of stone running along her back as they entered some sort of tunnel. If she hadn't ducked her head, she would have struck it on the stone, probably causing her to drop off Ace unconscious. She needed to pay attention here so she didn't end up getting hurt again.

The gray gave a ringing neigh and Sam heard it answered by many horses as they emerged from the stone tunnel. Ace stopped and Sam slid from his back. She knew that Ace had been a mustang. This must have been his herd. Since she couldn't really see anything in the dark, she'd give him to daybreak to spend it with the herd.

Ace trotted off, but the gray remained.

"Zanzibar," Sam whispered to the horse and marveled when he came to her, nudging her with his nose.

Sam cautiously rubbed the horse's neck and started to cry when the stallion laid his head so trustingly on her shoulder. It was her long lost colt!

When he snorted and moved off, Sam watched him go, his light coat finally disappearing into the darkness. She felt the ground and found boulder to sit on.

All the emotions and fears since coming home overwhelmed her, bubbling out of her as she lay on the boulder and cried. She had found her colt.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

As the sun lifted higher into the sky, Sam woke and saw the valley of wild horses. All sizes, colors and ages spread out before her. Her horse stood guard over his herd.

Ace was nearby and Sam called to him. He left the group of horses he was with and came right to her. Even though Sam didn't want to leave, she knew she had to. If nothing else, Jake would be able to track her here and Sam didn't want anyone discovering the horses. She was afraid of what might happen.

"Zanzibar," Sam said to the gray stallion. He snorted in her direction and left his herd to make his way towards her. "Thank you for letting me know you're all right." Sam hugged the horse briefly and then with a final pat, she turned and mounted Ace.

She rode him back towards the tunnel, through the tunnel until they came out to the range. Sam wasn't sure which direction was the cow camp but gave Ace his head hoping that he would be able to find his way back.

She hadn't gone far, when she saw a figure coming towards her. At first she didn't recognize them but then realized it was Linc Slocum. Sam fought looking back over her shoulder to see if her horse had followed her.

"What are you doing out here, little lady?" Linc asked, looking behind her as if the answer lay back there. Sam glanced over her shoulder and sighed in relief when she didn't see her horse.

"I just went for a ride," Sam told him, hoping he'd believe her. Something about Linc made her suspicious and she didn't want him knowing about her horse.

"That's what Jake and his infuriating brothers said," Linc ground out. "I think you were getting into trouble."

"Trouble?" Sam squeaked out. "What kind of trouble could I get into out here?"

Sam urged Ace forward, not wanting to be out here with Linc. Slocum gave one more look towards the area where Sam had come from and fell in beside her.

"You know what they say about girls and horses," Linc said. Sam was lost and knew it showed on her face.

"No, I don't," Sam shook her head. Then she straightened in her saddle. A small smile played around her lips. Jake was riding towards them. Maybe now Slocum would disappear.

"Hey Sam," Jake reined in Witch and Sam pulled up Ace.

"Hi Jake," Sam looked at him and he could see something in her eyes.

"I found her wandering around out here," Linc said to Jake. "I was worried the little lady was getting into trouble since she's new to the area and all."

"I was born here, Mr. Slocum," Sam reminded him. Linc ignored her to talk directly to Jake, like Jake was her protector.

"I thought maybe she got lost," Linc continued. "Especially when she didn't show up after her shift last night."

"Like I told Wyatt, I'm sure Sam was just out exploring," Jake shrugged, but he gave her a look warning her he knew better.

Sam fumed silently on Ace. How dare they talk like she wasn't there. Jake gave her another look and Sam saw a smug look on Slocum's face. As if she and Jake would argue in front of him!

"I'll bring her back," Jake said to the older man, dismissing him.

"Oh will you," Linc smirked. "Just keep an eye out for Wyatt. He might not like you being alone like that with his little girl."

He rode off, his chuckle making Sam feel dirty for some reason.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Does he actually think…," Sam said to Jake.

"Where were you?" Jake asked, cutting her off.

"I went for a ride," Sam told him.

"All night?" Jake lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Are you my father now?" Sam snapped.

"No, but because I told your father I would come find you is the only reason the whole camp wasn't out as a search party instead of wrangling cattle," Jake answered. "He was pretty worried."

Sam sighed and nodded.

"I'm sorry," she flicked her eyes to his.

Jake gave her a nod. He gazed at Slocum's retreating back then back down at Sam. Witch shifted under him.

"Come on, we better get back," he said.

Witch started walking forward and Sam urged Ace up next to them. For once the big black mare didn't pin back her ears and try to bite Ace.

"Do you remember the Phantom?" Sam asked suddenly, surprising Jake.

"'Course," Jake responded. "Especially when I had part of my leg bit off by him."

Sam had forgotten that. Of course, she forgot a lot since her accident.

"I saw him," Sam looked up at him.

"I'm sure it's not the same horse," Jake said.

"No, I'm sure it's not," Sam agreed.

Jake heard something in her voice and looked into her eyes.

"It's Blackie," Sam blurted out.

Jake reined in Witch in surprise. Sam stopped Ace next to him and nodded.

"Are you sure?" Jake asked.

"Positive," Sam told him. "I was sorta horsenapped last night. He and Ace took off with me."

"To where?" Jake challenged.

Sam remained still. Even though she knew Jake could track where she had been, she wasn't going to come right out and tell him.

"You know I could turn around and find out within minutes," Jake warned her.

"I know, but you won't," Sam looked up at him.

"That sure?" Jake gave a harsh laugh.

"Yes I'm sure," Sam told him. If he wanted to be friends with her he wouldn't. Sam figured this was a defining moment in their redeveloping friendship.

"Good thing I'm too busy," Jake said. He nudged Witch forward again.

Sam gave a sigh of relief and followed him.

"If Blackie is the Phantom, there are a couple of things you need to know," Jake glanced down at her.

"What's that?"

"He has a large scar on his neck," Jake told her. "Slocum put it there."

"What!"

"Slocum wants nothing more than the Phantom as a trophy," Jake went on. "He tried to hire me to track him. He won't stop at anything to get him, including using you as bait."

Sam was furious but just nodded.

Then she realized that Jake hadn't continued.

"What else?" she asked. "You said a couple of things."

Jake pulled up Witch again and Sam actually flinched at the look he gave her.

"I will not let that horse hurt you again," Jake practically growled. "I will stick to you like glue if I have to, but he will not hurt you again."

Sam gasped.

"Who do you think you are?" Sam yelled at him, causing Witch to pin back her ears.

_Besides the person who loves you?_ Jake thought to himself. He didn't nor would he say that out loud. Neither of them was ready for that. They might never be ready for that declaration.

"Like glue," Jake repeated, before spurring Witch into a lope away from her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"How ya doin', Sammy?" Bryan asked her later.

"Sore," Sam admitted.

"What's sore?" Bryan asked.

Sam blushed. Bryan glanced at his twin and the two of them grinned.

"Need a massage, Sammy?" Quinn wondered.

Sam snorted.

"Sure Quinn," Sam told him. "Then I can watch my father shoot your butt."

Bryan muttered something under his breath that Sam thought sounded like "or Jake", but she wasn't sure.

"Buckshot in the ass might be worth it, Sammy," Quinn grinned at her.

Sam couldn't help the laugh. She had missed these guys.

"We'll all be at school together again," Quinn reminded her. "Do you still have that wussy pink backpack?"

Sam had worn mostly black while in San Francisco so she shook her head.

"Though we'd let you hang out with us even if you did," Bryan told her.

"How nice of you, Bryan," Sam rolled her eyes and the two guys laughed. "I can't believe that both Nate and Adam graduated."

"Neither can anyone else," Quinn quipped and Sam choked on her laughter.

"I'm sure a lot of people are saying that about you two also," Sam pointed out.

"Well we haven't graduated _yet_," Bryan laughed. "Maybe we'll be held back a few years and we can graduate together."

"You can't let Jake graduate before you," Sam told him.

"Oh gosh, we'd never hear the end of it," Quinn agreed. "Sorry Sammy, we have to graduate next year. I hope you understand."

Sam gave a good imitation of one of Jake's long suffering sighs. Both guys realized where it came from and laughed with her.

"I guess I'll get over your not waiting for me," Sam tried to put as much disappointment in her tone of voice as she could even though she was fighting laughter.

"Speaking of waiting," Quinn raised an eyebrow at her. "You still haven't kissed a guy?"

Sam blushed.

"Guess that answers that question," Quinn laughed. "Why not?"

"There hasn't been anyone to kiss," Sam shrugged. "Maybe I was holding off until I came back and saw you guys."

Bryan pursed his lips and made smooching noises. Sam laughed.

"Oh that's appealing," Sam told him.

"Usually works," Bryan grinned at her.

"Only with Rocky maybe," Quinn teased his twin.

Sam snorted.

"I have to say, both of your horses are gorgeous," Sam told them.

Both geldings were handsome with near perfect conformation. Sam had to laugh to herself as she thought of their owners the same way.

Both Bryan and Quinn were very, very handsome. Oh heck, Adam and Nate were handsome too. She refused to admit even to herself though that she found Jake even more handsome than his brothers.

They all were very similar and there was no denying that the five of them were brothers. Each had dark, almost mahogany skin with blue-black hair. Their eyes were so dark that sometimes they appeared black, depending on their moods.

Sam hadn't seen them without shirts since her return, but she would bet the muscles in their arms, chests and abdomen were chiseled and none of them would have an ounce of fat on him.

She felt warm just thinking about it. Sam wasn't sure why. They were her brothers, though she knew they really weren't.

Sure she had kissed Jake a few times when they were little, but had vowed never to again after he had become angry the last time she did. When she thought of his full lips, it seemed like such a waste not to. Sam frowned.

"Whatcha frowning about Sammy?" Bryan asked her, bringing her out of her reverie of the Ely brothers.

"It's okay Sammy," Quinn teased. "Don't frown. I'll still kiss you even if it means you lose the bet."

Sam's jaw dropped and then her peal of laughter rang out. Quinn hadn't changed a bit and she was thankful for that.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Do you guys still go camping every summer?" Sam asked as they sat around eating dinner.

"Yep," Nate nodded. "Though it's not the same without you."

Sam smiled at him.

"You coming with us this year?" Quinn asked.

"I don't think I can," Sam shook her head sadly.

"Like Wyatt would let her come with us," Jake said to Quinn.

"He used to," Quinn reminded him.

"Yeah but that was before…," Bryan broke off at Jake's look.

Sam blushed. She had an idea on what Bryan had been about to say. She had gone camping with them before she had become a woman.

She had developed her small breasts and started her periods while she had been in San Francisco. Her body had started to curve in at the waist like a woman's body too.

Sam wasn't unpleased with the results, but having periods every month put a cramp, no pun intended, in her plans sometimes.

She remembered a time she was going to go to the beach with her friend Pam and a couple of other girls from school. Sam had started her period and the cramps made her stay home. She had missed all the fun that her friends had that day.

The guys saw the blush and all guessed at what had made Sam blush. They would never tease about the breasts she had developed while she had been away. At least not when she was within hearing distance.

It had been the topic of discussion, much to Jake's chagrin, just the other night in their tent.

"Sammy's got breasts," Quinn had stated.

"Well she is fourteen," Nate reminded him.

"She grew up while she was gone," Adam said. "It's hard to remember her as the little four year old she was when we first met her."

"Gosh, ten years," Nate had shook his head. "It doesn't seem possible."

Nate flicked his eyes to Jake, but Jake wasn't looking at any of them.

"I remember how cute she was the first time she went somewhere with us," Bryan smiled.

"The fair," Adam nodded.

"She went on the Ferris Wheel with me even though she was scared to death," Quinn remembered. "That took a lot of guts."

"Jakey was trying to get her to puke," Nate teased.

Jake's mouth twitched. "I was what? Five? Puking was cool then."

The other four laughed.

"Jakey held her hand so cutely," Quinn teased in a sing-song voice. "It was love even back then."

Adam saw Jake duck his head and knew that Jake was probably embarrassed. He gave Quinn a look. Quinn tried to look innocent, but nobody was fooled.

"She's ripe for picking," Quinn continued.

Jake's head shot up as he glared at his brother.

"I'm just sayin'," Quinn shrugged.

"You make her sound like fruit," Bryan laughed.

"Forbidden fruit," Adam warned his brothers.

"Yeah, yeah we understand jail bait," Quinn laughed.

Nate glanced at Jake who was looking at the ground.

"Just remember that," Adam had told them.

Now each of the guys was looking at Sam and remembering how she used to go camping with them.

"The rope's still there," Jake said.

"Yeah?" Sam smiled. "That was so much fun."

"Not for the rest of us," Bryan teased.

"Why's that?" Sam wondered.

"Well besides the wet rope burns?" Quinn grinned.

The other four guys laughed.

"Plus you screaming us deaf as you went for a ride," Nate teased.

"Oh I did not," Sam scoffed, but she was grinning. "It was like flying."

"Yeah," Adam smiled at her.

Just then, Flick made another disparaging remark, causing all five of the Elys to look at him.

"What's your problem?" Sam asked him.

"Your father should be more careful with who you hang around with," Flick sneered at her.

Adam grabbed Jake's arm, keeping him seated on the ground.

"My father trusts my life to these guys," Sam snapped back. "And so do I."

"I bet now he don't since one of them almost got you killed," Flick smirked.

Sam glanced at Jake, but he wouldn't look at her or at anyone else. She muttered under her breath at the other man who just gave her a superior smile. Sam wanted to wipe it off his face and he knew it.

"If the ass had any sense, he'd be less afraid of what Jake would do to him and worry more about what Sammy's capable of," Quinn said.

Sam looked at Jake and saw his hands clenching into fists at his side. She knew he felt guilty for what happened to her despite her trying to tell him it wasn't his fault.

She glared at Flick for hurting Jake the way he was and somehow vowed revenge.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The Phantom returned during Sam's last nighthawking shift. She saw the pale glow of his silver coat in the moonlight, but before she could go to him she heard a yell. Suddenly Slocum's horse was galloping through the night after the silver stallion.

The Phantom gave a challenging neigh as he ran, almost as if he were daring Slocum to try and catch him. Sam watched as both her horse and Slocum disappeared into the night.

"Run Blackie," Sam whispered.

She heard hooves approaching and peered into the blackness to see if it were Slocum coming back. It wasn't until the figure was almost on top of her did she recognize Jake.

"What's going on?" Jake pulled Witch in to walk next to her and Ace.

"The Phantom was here and Slocum went after him," Sam told him. He could hear the worried tone of her voice.

"I'm sure he won't catch him," Jake assured her.

"He did once," Sam reminded him of what he told her.

"Slocum didn't catch him," Jake said. "It was Flick on Slocum's orders."

"How?"

Jake sighed and debated what to tell her. Then he decided to tell her the truth. He had never lied to her and didn't want to start now, even though she wouldn't like what he told her.

"Flick ran him down in a truck," Jake told her, ignoring Sam's gasp. "Then roped him with a rope that was tied to a barrel full of cement."

"What?" Sam's yelp was loud in the night.

"They dropped the barrel, leaving the horse tied to it," Jake went on. "I'm not sure why they left him, but they did. Somehow he got loose and was gone when they came back later."

"Oh my poor horse," Sam murmured. "It's a wonder he didn't break his neck."

"Your poor horse?" Jake's tone changed. "It's a wonder he didn't break _your_ neck when he cracked your skull."

"Jake," Sam warned him.

"Don't Jake me," Jake snapped. "He almost killed you, Samantha. I won't let that happen again."

Sam pulled Ace in roughly. "Then you better not hang around me, because that is my horse and I won't allow you or anyone else to keep me from him."

Jake threw up his hands and left her. She heard him swearing under his breath into the darkness until she lost sight of him.

Wow, when had Jake started swearing like that? They both had changed so much in the two years since she had been gone. She had to remember he was no longer the little boy he had been, but he had to remember she wasn't the little girl she had been either.

The Phantom was the colt she had raised from birth and nobody, not Jake, not Dad, not Slocum or anyone else was going to keep her from him. They had another thing coming if they thought they could.

Maybe she needed to talk to Dad and let him know she had found Blackie. Not that she wanted to bring him home. She wanted her horse to stay free. She had her chance to own him and she had failed. Now he was free and she would do what she could to keep it that way, even if it meant defying her father or losing Jake's friendship.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Sam talked to her father about Blackie on the way home from roundup. She had been happy to get away from Flick and his comments. If he wasn't calling her a dude, he was making innuendoes about her relationship with the Elys or her friendship with Jake, even though Sam wasn't sure she still had a friendship with Jake.

After their latest argument, he hadn't talked to her for the rest of roundup. He would still sit with his brothers and her during dinner, but didn't say anything to her directly.

Several times his brothers had seen Sam look at him with both a defiant and a sad look in her eye. If Jake saw, he ignored it.

Adam had tried to talk to both of them separately, but neither would disclose what was going on.

"Dad, we need to talk," Sam told her father.

"About what, honey?" Dad asked.

"I found Blackie," Sam said tentatively.

She saw Dad's hands grip the steering wheel tightly before he pulled over to the side of the road. He turned to her.

Sam told him everything.

"You're just telling me this now?" Dad was angry.

"But I am telling you," Sam reminded him.

"Don't get sassy with me," Dad warned her. "You might get away with it with Jake, but you won't with me."

She wanted to tell him she really wasn't sassing, but was afraid he'd think _that_ was sassing.

"So what do you want to do about it?" Dad wondered.

Sam was surprised. "Nothing."

Dad was surprised at her answer.

"You don't want him back?" Dad asked.

Sam shook her head, trying to explain her reasoning.

"I won't let that horse hurt you again, Samantha," Dad warned her. Gosh, had he and Jake been talking?

"I don't want him hurt by Slocum either," Sam crossed her arms over her chest.

"Call him Linc or Mr. Slocum at least," Dad said and Sam sighed loudly at Dad's sense of decency for a man who didn't deserve it.

"Do you know what he did to my horse?" Sam questioned.

"Jake told me," Dad responded. "I still expect you to have respect."

"You don't," Sam pointed out.

"I'm an adult," Dad reasoned, not brooking any argument.

Finally Sam sighed and nodded.

"I won't do anything about it now, Samantha," Dad said pulling back onto the road. "But if you get crazy around that horse, I will have him yanked off the range and shipped away so far you'll never find him again."

He ignored Sam's gasp.

"Do you understand me?" Dad asked.

Sam felt like screaming.

"Yes sir," she murmured instead. She had learned long ago you couldn't argue with adults when they were in moods like this.

They pulled into River Bend a short time later and Sam got out and slammed the truck door behind her before heading for the house.

"Just a second, young lady," Dad's cool tone made her stop. When he started the _young lady_ stuff, she knew she was in trouble. She turned.

"You put the horses away and unload the tack," Dad told her.

She wanted to stomp her foot in frustration, but knew he was in no mood for it. She stalked back to the trailer and did as he had asked. When she was done, she hurried to the house anxious to take a hot bath to soak the soreness out of her overused muscles.

Even after two weeks she still wasn't used to riding for so long. The first couple of days had been a nightmare as she made mistake after mistake, earning the derisive comments from the cowboys in the process. Flick had been the worst.

By the end of roundup, at least she wasn't making the same dumb mistakes but she was still sore and stiff. She was still scared too. She hadn't told a soul, not even Jake. Especially not Jake. He'd probably start smothering her as he had threatened to.

She wanted a friend and big brother, not a nursemaid. Previously she would have included one more thing she wanted from Jake, but she refused to think about that. Too much had changed since she had been gone and they were having enough trouble being friends. Any more feelings she had for him would have to wait, if they ever were allowed to flourish at all.

Sam wasn't sure what would happen between them.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The summer progressed and Sam still saw a lot of Jake. While they didn't seem as close as they had been, Sam had been trying to get along with him.

He disappeared for almost a week and Sam knew that he was off camping with his brothers. She had moped around the ranch, doing her chores but also spending a lot of time at the river.

She wasn't sure why but the river gave her peace. It quieted her jumbled thoughts. It seemed to keep her sane at times.

Sam was sitting on the bank looking out over the river when she heard a snort behind her. She glanced up to see Jake astride Witch. She had to crane her neck to look at his face, but she gave him a small smile before turning back to the river.

A few seconds later he was sitting beside her.

"Do you remember when we met?" Jake asked.

"Not really," Sam shook her head.

Jake looked at her in surprise. Could she tell him without his getting upset? She supposed she needed to.

"My memory isn't that great anymore," she tried to shrug it off, but she saw the guilty look on his face.

"Because of me," Jake murmured.

Sam sighed.

"I knew I shouldn't have said that," Sam told him. His dark eyes met her lighter ones and she decided this was going to be a make or break time for them. "Jake, I want you as a friend. You're important to me, you've always been important to me. However, neither of us can change what happened. If you continue to feel guilty or get mad whenever you find out I'm still having problems because of the accident, do you really think our friendship will survive?"

Jake had looked away, but looked back at her when she was done.

"Unless you don't want to be friends anymore?" she whispered.

She saw his eyes slide away again and sighed. Guess not.

"I do, but you can't just expect me to forget it," Jake almost whispered back.

"There are some things I deal with," Sam went on. "My memory is one. Some things I remember really well. Other things I don't. I'm even worse at math now."

That got Jake to chuckle and Sam giggled.

"Scary, huh?"

"I wasn't sure that was possible," Jake teased and Sam smiled at his teasing tone. This was more like him.

"So I don't remember the first time we met," Sam was sad and Jake could see it in her eyes. "I'm sure there are a lot of things we did that I don't really remember anymore. I hope the memories come back, but they haven't after two years…" She left the sentence hanging.

"I'm sorry, Brat," Jake murmured.

"Jake, you're the best friend I've ever had," Sam told him, leaning into his arm.

"I thought you didn't remember," Jake joked.

"I remember that," Sam assured him. She looked away and wiped her eyes.

She heard Jake's loud sigh and turned her head to look at him.

"I can't promise that your accident won't make me feel guilty," Jake said softly. "I'll try, but I can't promise anything."

"That's good enough for now," Sam told him, smiling up at him. She saw Jake's eyes widen before he looked away.

Jake had seen the beautiful woman within Sam with that smile. He reminded himself that she was barely fourteen. Way too young for him, still.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked him.

"Nothin'," Jake assured her. "Wanna go out to War Drum Flats?"

"Gosh I haven't been there in so long," Sam mused, then nodded. "Let's."

They walked the short distance back to River Bend, Witch trailing along behind them.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Sam sat on Ace's back as he drank from the small lake out on the middle of the playa.

"I've missed all this," Sam murmured, looking up at Jake who sat on Witch next to her while the mare drank her fill.

Jake gave her a smile in understanding.

"I would miss it too," he told her.

"How was your camping trip?" Sam asked.

"Fine," Jake frowned.

"Doesn't look fine," Sam said with a laugh.

"It's just different now," Jake shrugged.

"How so?"

"No little sister to pester us," Jake teased.

"Do you still get cold at night?" Sam teased back.

"I believe it was you who got cold at night," Jake corrected with a grin. "You remember that?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "I told you my memory loss is kinda random. I remember sharing the sleeping bag with you at night." Sam blushed and looked away.

"We'd get in a lot of trouble if anyone else knew," Jake murmured.

"You aren't kidding," Sam laughed but she shuddered. "Even if we were just little kids."

You're still a little kid," Jake teased with a grin. Witch wandered out of the lake and Jake dismounted, leaving her free to wander about. Sam followed him and did the same with Ace.

"I'm not a little kid," Sam defended herself.

"Just little," Jake said, still grinning.

"I can't help it you're so tall," Sam laughed.

"You're a shrimp," Jake teased, moving to one of the boulders.

"Oh gee, like I haven't heard that before," Sam rolled her eyes and sat next to him. She had her boots off almost immediately and was trailing her feet in the water.

"You've always liked the water," Jake mused.

"Yeah, I have," Sam agreed. "I'm not sure why."

"Maybe you were a water baby in another life," Jake laughed.

Sam shivered. She hated those things.

Jake nudged her with his elbow and she nudged him back.

"So you don't remember meeting?" Jake asked as she shoved him.

"Not really," Sam sighed.

"I do, just like it was yesterday," Jake's voice took on a faraway tone. "I was watching you try and catch tadpoles, which you insisted were baby frogs."

"They are baby frogs," Sam insisted, elbowing him again.

Jake chuckled.

"Not much has changed in the ten years since we met," Jake teased. "I remember you jumped in head first to catch a fish. That's when I knew we could be friends."

"Yeah?" Sam laughed.

"Yeah, you weren't a sissy," Jake responded.

"I remember you wanted me to puke at the fair though," Sam looked up at him.

"You don't remember when we met but you remember that?" Jake shook his head.

"Some things are more memorable than others, I guess," Sam shrugged with a smile. "I still have Jingles."

"No kidding?" Jake smiled. "I'll have to tell Kit the next time I talk to him."

"How is he?" Sam asked.

"Doin' great on the rodeo circuit," Jake told her. "He's like second in the world in bronc ridin'. The finals are coming up in Vegas."

"Are you going?" Sam asked.

Jake shook his head. "I'll be in school."

"We'll finally be back in school together," Sam mused.

"Lucky me," Jake pretended to grouch, laughing when Sam hit him.

Jake put his arm around her briefly. "Welcome home, Brat."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Sam liked to go down to the river and sit sometimes in the middle of the night. If she was too hyped up to sleep, going down to the river calmed her.

It was one of these times that she happened to look up and saw the Phantom across the river from her. She gasped and whispered his secret name.

"Zanzibar," Sam stood up.

Her horse nickered and tossed his head, starting to come across the river to her. Sam jumped in, gasping at the coldness over her legs, but then ignoring it to meet the horse in the middle of the river.

The Phantom nudged her and Sam sat down in the river.

"Cold, cold," Sam's teeth chattered. She raised her hand to pet him and the Phantom swung his heavy head to dodge her hand, hitting her in the face by mistake. Sam sat down in the cold river again just as the porch light came on.

She was amazed at how quickly the Phantom was gone.

Sam ran as quickly as she could out of the river to the house, slipping past her father to sit on one of the kitchen chairs.

"That's going to swell," Dad told her looking at her cheek.

"Did you see him, Dad?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Dad murmured. "Just what are you doing outside at night, Sam?"

"What do you mean Dad?" Sam was confused. "Sometimes I can't sleep and the river calms me."

"You're not meeting Jake?" Dad asked.

"What?" Sam yelped. "No!"

Jake was her big brother! Well, most of the time anyway. Yes, sometimes she had disturbing thoughts or dreams about him, but she wasn't meeting him outside at night.

"Your Gram was a bit concerned," Dad sounded embarrassed.

"I see him down at the river sometimes during the day when he comes by," Sam admitted. "We met down there remember?"

"You were four," Dad reminded her. "You two can get into a lot more trouble now."

Sam blushed and shook her head.

"Okay, go on to bed," Dad told her. "I know I'm supposed to keep you awake for awhile with another bump on the head, but I don't think I need to with this one."

"Okay," Sam murmured. "Good night, Dad."

"Good night, honey," Dad watched her as she went up the stairs to her room. Samantha wasn't a little girl anymore. Girls younger than she was got into a lot of trouble with boys. Thankfully, Wyatt trusted Jake otherwise he might not let the two hang out together unchaperoned.

In the morning, Sam's eye was blackened and swollen. Her cheek hurt where the Phantom had struck it.

Gram tsked at her when Sam came down for breakfast.

"Jake's gonna have kittens when he sees that," Gram predicted.

"Why should Jake care?" Sam almost snapped, then apologized when Gram gave her a look.

"The boy is a bit protective of you," Gram said with typical understatement.

Sam sighed. Gram was right. Jake was going to have a fit. As she ate her breakfast, she tried to think of some way to calm him down once he saw it.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Jake just rode in," Gram was looking out the window.

"You two behave yourselves today," Dad came downstairs.

"What's today?" Sam asked in confusion.

"Your Gram and I are delivering that paint mare back to her owners," Dad said. "So once your chores are done, you're free to play with Jake."

Play with Jake? Did Dad still think she was eight where she and Jake actually played?

"Okay," Sam said, trying hard not to roll her eyes.

"Jake, come on in for breakfast," Gram called out the front door.

A few minutes later, Sam heard Jake scrape his boots on the front porch before he came into the house. She turned as he hung his hat on the rack near the door.

His face hardened.

"You should see the other guy," Sam joked.

Jake's face only hardened more.

"Isn't that what guys say to each other?" Sam asked.

"You're not a guy," Jake almost sneered.

"Leave it be, Jake," Dad told him.

Sam smirked at Jake.

"You quit your smirking too," Dad said to Sam.

That made Jake smirk and Sam wanted to hit that smirk off his face.

"If you two insist on acting like pre-schoolers, then you'll be treated as such," Gram told the two of them.

Jake and Sam glared at each other. Gram's mouth twitched as she looked at her son. Dad couldn't help the grin.

After breakfast Dad left the house to hook the trailer up to his truck. Gram held out the car keys to her beloved Buick to Jake.

"If you need the car for anything, you can drive it, Jake," Sam's jaw dropped. She had forgotten that Jake was now old enough to drive.

"If you hurt that car, you will get it from me," Gram tried to threaten him.

"Yes ma'am," Jake was serious but Sam saw the humor in his dark eyes. "Maybe I'll take Sam up to Willow Springs."

Gram nodded and went out the door.

"What's Willow Springs?" Sam asked.

"BLM's wild horse post," Jake explained. "So what happened to your face?"

"You won't like it," Sam warned him.

"Noted," Jake nodded.

Sam explained about what had happened with the Phantom. She saw the emotions in Jake's dark eyes as he struggled to remain calm.

"I'm okay," Sam promised.

"For now," Jake murmured.

Sam put her hands on her hips and stared him down.

Jake started to laugh. She was such a brat sometimes, but she was _his_ Brat. He couldn't believe how happy he was again now that she was back.

He hadn't really laughed in a couple of years, but he found himself laughing and smiling more. Jake knew his mother had noticed and had guessed at the reason.

Jake still wasn't ready to go there since he wasn't quite sixteen and she had just turned fourteen in June, but he had decided he felt the same about her as he had before she had left.

Now he just had to wait to see if one day she might return his feelings. Until then, they were best friends again.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Are you sure you know how to drive?" Sam asked Jake as he backed up Gram's Buick.

Jake gave her a look.

"I'm just asking," Sam shrugged.

Jake pulled out of the yard and turned right.

"Where is this place?" Sam asked.

"Up there," Jake pointed.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Do you realize how infuriating you are?"

"Me?" Jake choked on a laugh. "There is a reason I call you Brat."

"Yeah, you only knew five words at the time," Sam gave it back to him. "That was one of them."

Jake burst out laughing. Sam giggled, looking over at her friend. She loved it when Jake laughed. He put his whole body and face into it when it was a true laugh. He looked so….never mind. She wasn't going there. They were too busy working on their friendship to worry about anything else.

Sam sobered. Not that he had _ever_ given her any indication there would be anything else. One of the things she did remember was his reaction the last time she had kissed him and her vow to never kiss him again.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked.

Darn him!

"Nothing," Sam shook her head, but kept looking out the passenger window.

Jake knew it was more than nothing, but didn't press it.

He drove through Alkali and Sam saw the diner.

"Has that always been there?" Sam asked.

"As far as I know," Jake nodded. "We'll stop on the way back and get some ice cream."

"Okay, cool," Sam was enthusiastic. She loved chocolate ice cream.

Jake smiled at her enthusiasm. He kept driving and glanced at Sam as he reached the area called Thread The Needle. It was a series of narrow turns through the mountain before they reached the BLM offices on the other side. It was tricky to get through.

"Whoa," Sam sat up in her seat. "You can drive through that?"

"Guess we'll find out," Jake teased, gripping the wheel with both hands.

Sam's head whipped around as she stared at him.

"That's a joke, right?" Sam asked, her voice almost a whimper.

"My name's not Thelma and you're not Louise, so yes it's a joke," Jake retorted.

"Huh?" Sam grunted, not getting it.

"Never mind," Jake shook his head and negotiated through the first hairpin turn.

"How long have you been driving?" Sam asked.

"Long enough," Jake responded.

"A year, a month?"

"A couple of weeks," Jake told her.

"Weeks?"

"Well actually I still only have my learner's permit," Jake admitted.

"You don't have a driver's license and you're driving?" Sam yelped.

"All ranch kids drive," Jake said.

"I don't," Sam reminded him.

Jake didn't remind her that she had been gone for two years. He didn't have to. She remembered on her own and slouched in her seat.

Once Jake made it through the hairpin turns, the Willow Springs center spread out in front of them. Sam sat back upright in her seat.

"Wow," Sam murmured.

"Not what you thought?" Jake asked though he knew the answer.

"I feel bad for the horses," Sam said.

"Yeah," Jake nodded.

"Blackie," Sam gasped, looking at Jake.

Jake was so surprised, he slammed on the brakes.

"You see him?" Jake asked looking around.

"No, but he could end up here," Sam grabbed Jake's arm.

"Don't grab me while I'm driving, Samantha," Jake warned her.

"You're not driving," Sam told him. "You've stopped."

Jake pulled forward and parked in the lot.

"Yeah he could end up here if he's gathered," Jake told her.

"How would I know?" Sam wondered, looking around.

"Well today, we can look around and make sure he's not," Jake got out of Gram's Buick.

"I just saw him last night," Sam reminded him.

"Then he's prolly not here," Jake said and Sam gave a sigh of relief.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Sam was the first to see the red haired woman heading their way.

"Hi kids," the woman whose nametag declared her B. Olson said to them.

Sam glanced at Jake knowing how he hated being called a kid. Sure enough, she saw the insulted look in his eyes the second before he blanked out his expression.

"Hi," Sam gave a semi-wave.

"Are you horse shopping?" Ms. Olson asked.

"No," Jake said. "Just looking around."

"That's good because you have to be eighteen in order to adopt one of our horses," Ms. Olson informed them. "Though if you want to look around and bring your parents back later, that's fine."

Sam and Jake looked at each other. Did this woman actually think they were brother and sister? Jake's mouth twitched as he looked at Sam. She was the total opposite of him.

Short, white with reddish-brown hair and light brown eyes. He was tall, dark with blue-black hair and dark brown eyes.

Sam saw his mouth twitch and she bit back a giggle. She knew exactly what he was finding amusing. She almost stuck her tongue out at him and he knew it. His eyes crinkled as he gave her his tomcat in the sun grin and Sam had to turn away or start laughing.

She looked instead at Ms. Olson who was obviously wondering what the two of them found so amusing.

"How does someone claim a horse who might be brought in by you," Sam asked.

"A domestic horse?" Ms. Olson wondered.

Sam nodded.

"One that went feral," Jake clarified.

"If you can prove it's yours, then you pay the trespass fees and claim it," Ms. Olson said.

"How do you prove it's yours?" Jake asked.

"Pictures?" Ms. Olson wondered.

Sure Sam had pictures. Of a black horse! She shook her head.

"Microchip?"

Sam shook her head.

"Tattoo?"

Sam shook her head.

"DNA?" Ms. Olson asked.

Sam looked at Jake.

"The dam was sold," Jake rubbed the back of his neck. "The sire is dead."

Sam had found out that Smoke had died from Gram in one of her phone calls when she had been living in San Francisco. Nobody had told her that Princess Kitty had been sold, so that bit of news was surprising.

"Then I don't know how you could prove the horse was yours," Ms. Olson said frankly.

Jake jerked his head up as if he remembered something.

"Can someone claim a horse based on a scar?" he asked. Sam gasped, her head turning towards Ms. Olson.

"No," Ms. Olson responded. "Too easy to fabricate."

"One of your neighbors has been interested in a possible horse coming in," Ms. Olson went on.

Sam and Jake exchanged looks. Sam would bet her next year's allowance that it was Linc Slocum.

"A gray?" Jake asked.

"Yes," Ms. Olson nodded. "I've been asked to call him if we ever bring in a gray stallion."

Sam couldn't help the groan.

"That's your horse?" she was asked.

"At one time," Sam told the woman.

"Well, let me give you my card," the BLM woman took a card with her name on it out of her shirt pocket. Sam looked at the name. Brynna Olson.

"Brin-na," Ms. Olson pronounced it for Sam.

"I'm Sam," Sam introduced herself. "Samantha Forster."

Ms. Olson looked to Jake. Sam could tell he was reluctant but his good manners won out.

"Jake Ely," Jake almost muttered.

"So you're not related," Brynna said.

"They sorta adopted me when I was younger," Sam gave Jake a look. Jake's mouth twitched again.

Sam could tell that Ms. Olson was now wondering if instead of siblings, if the two of them were romantically involved. Sam blushed, looking away quickly. Jake read her and he too blushed, looking away as well.

Ms. Olson was intrigued.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Linc Slocum is trying to get my horse," Sam said on the way home.

"Duh."

"I'm serious," Sam hit his thigh and then gasped at the pain in her hand. His thigh was like a rock. She shook her hand and Jake gave her a tomcat grin.

"What can we do?" Sam asked rubbing her hand.

"Not much since neither of us are eighteen," Jake told her. "Plus Flick's there."

"What?" Sam screeched.

"You didn't see him?" Jake was surprised.

"No, I didn't see him," Sam stated the obvious.

"He was back in one of the pens, watching us," Jake informed her.

"Why was he watching us?" Sam wondered.

"Obviously he was wondering why we were there," Jake shrugged. He pulled into Clara's Diner in Alkali and they got out of the Buick.

He held the door to the diner open for her and Sam went in before him. Together they found a table and sat down. Sam picked up a menu. She noticed that Jake did not.

"You've been here before?" Sam asked.

Jake nodded. "The hamburgers are good if you want lunch."

"Nah, ice cream is fine," Sam started digging in one of her pockets.

"I got it, Brat," Jake told her. Sam stopped, looking at him.

"No, it's not a date," Jake teased.

"Well good," Sam snapped back at him. "I can write in my diary that I still haven't been on a date."

Jake's mouth twitched then broke out into a grin.

"So you didn't have a boyfriend in San Francisco?" he asked.

"No!" Sam yelped. "I don't want a boyfriend."

Jake's grin vanished.

"I'm not blond, remember?" Sam laughed.

"Quinn and Bryan will be disappointed," Jake told her, smiling slightly.

"Oh I'm sure they have enough girlfriends to keep them busy," Sam responded.

"Not much has changed since elementary school," Jake agreed.

"Are they still all blond?" Sam asked.

The waitress came over and both of them ordered a chocolate cone. Once she left, Jake answered Sam's question.

"I don't know all of them but many are," Jake shrugged.

Sam was tempted to ask Jake if he had a girlfriend, but didn't. It really wasn't her business. He was almost sixteen, handsome, tall and dark. She would bet a lot of girls had thrown themselves at Jake.

"Hey, who am I going to hang around with at school?" Sam wondered.

"Dunno," Jake told her. "Most of your friends are gone."

"Gone?" Sam asked.

The waitress brought their cones and Sam licked hers, waiting for Jake to answer.

"Ann Potter's family sold the ranch and moved to Hawaii," Jake licked his own cone.

"Hawaii?" Sam was amazed. "Why did they move there?"

"They sold out," Jake said. "Some developer bought their spread and put something like six houses on every acre."

"Yikes," Sam shuddered. She would hate to live so close to someone like that. "What about Linda?"

"Which one was she?" Jake asked.

"Red hair, blue eyes," Sam said.

"You hung out with her when I was in the school?" Jake wondered.

Sam nodded. "I think I met her in the fourth grade."

"So when I was in sixth," Jake murmured. "I don't remember her."

"Well at least you'll be there, right?" Sam asked.

"I'll be there, but you need to find your own friends," Jake told her.

"You won't let me hang out with you?" Sam yelped, the chocolate ice cream churning now in her stomach.

"I'll be there if you need me, but no," Jake shook his head.

"Why not?"

Jake gave her a look.

"Oh so you've moved on so I need to also?" Sam sneered. She tossed what was left of her cone in a nearby trash can and stood up so quickly her chair screeched on the floor.

"Brat," Jake murmured.

Sam ignored him and the bell clanged as she opened the door with a jerk and went out into the Nevada heat.

Jake dumped what was left of his cone, paid the bill and followed her.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"That's not what I meant," Jake told her, spotting her sitting outside on a bench.

Sam turned her head away.

Jake sighed and sat down next to her.

"You haven't been here in two years," Jake explained.

"Gee, really?" Sam's voice dripped sarcasm.

"You need to make new friends," Jake said.

"Why?" Sam asked. "I thought you were my friend."

"I _am_ your friend," Jake told her. "I'm a junior, you'll be a freshman."

"Oh so you're embarrassed of me?"

"Gosh Sam," Jake lost his patience. "I'm not embarrassed of you. I'm the one who stuck up for you when you wore that pink backpack your whole life. I'm the one who kept you from getting suspended when you wanted to fight everyone who was mean to you."

Sam's jaw had dropped as he started his tirade.

"I'm the one who persuaded Stanley Longsworth not to ever lift your skirt again," Jake went on. "Now would I have done that if I was embarrassed by you?"

"What did you do to him?" Sam asked softly.

"I kicked his ass," Jake answered.

"I often wondered why he never even looked at me again," Sam murmured.

Jake snorted. "Now you know."

"I won't know anyone," Sam whispered.

"You know us," Jake looked down at her. "Quinn and Bryan will be there too. You just need to try and find your own friends."

"I'll be an outsider," Sam rubbed her hacked off hair.

"You'll be fine," Jake assured her. "You made friends when we were in elementary school."

Sam nodded vaguely.

"I don't see you with Rachel Slocum's crowd," Jake mused.

"Linc's daughter?" Sam asked.

Jake nodded. "Darrell calls her the ice princess."

"Darrell?" Sam tilted her head.

"I hung around with him in school," Jake reminded her. "He'll be a sophomore."

"I thought he was the same age as you," Sam said.

"He is," Jake nodded. "He got sick and had to repeat a grade."

"That must suck," Sam murmured.

"Hey I know," Jake suddenly perked up. Sam looked over at him. "Do you remember Jen Kenworthy?"

"I don't think so," Sam shook her head.

"I pointed her out to you once at the fair," Jake tried to help her remember.

Sam frowned in concentration. Her memory wasn't the best since her accident but she thought she might remember the girl.

"Blond, skinny, geeky?" Jake prompted.

"Home schooled?" Sam sort of remembered.

"She's been going to public school for a year," Jake said. "You would prolly like her. She likes horses."

"She lives next door?" Sam was confused. She thought Linc Slocum lived next door.

"Her family lost the ranch and Slocum bought it," Jake explained. He had an uncanny ability to know what she was thinking sometimes.

"Oh wow," Sam murmured. "That sucks."

"Ranching is a hard way to make a living," Jake said.

_Jake, the king of the understatement_, Sam thought to herself with a snort.

"Okay, I'll try hanging around with Jen Kenworthy," Sam sighed. "Will you be on the bus?"

"Nope," Jake gave her a superior grin. "I ride in with my brothers."

Sam gave him a dirty look. "I can't even ride in with you?"

"Freshmen ride the bus," Jake's smug tomcat grin spread across his face.

Sam stuck out her tongue out at him and Jake just laughed.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

After that trip, the two friends seemed more relaxed with each other. Jake thought they might have gotten back to their pre-accident friendship though he still worried a lot about her.

Sam rode Ace out past Aspen Creek. Jake had called asking her to lay some track for him so Sam decided to take him out a long way before doubling back to Three Ponies where she would wait for him to come in.

She started along the ridge that rose behind River Bend and Three Ponies. She cut through the small creek and then rode Ace over a rock bed near the stream.

Sam was laughing as she took the trail between the two ranches, then doubled back through Aspen Creek down the ridge into the River Bend far pastures. It was here that she had been kicked by Blackie two years before.

Sam stopped in the pasture, sorry that she had gone this way. She didn't want Jake to remember and get upset again about the accident. It was too late now.

She hurried through and went into the river. Sam stayed in the river for about a half mile before going up the bank to the other side which opened on the playa. Sam ran Ace to War Drum Flats and around the small lake. Then she loped towards Three Ponies.

Once she reached Jake's ranch, she tied Ace to the rail and went to sit on the porch swing near the front door to wait for Jake. She figured he'd show up in a couple of hours.

"Well hello Samantha," Maxine saw her sitting on the porch when she came out of the house. She was carrying a purse and had car keys in her hand.

"Hi Mrs. Ely," Sam smiled at Jake's mom.

"Jake left a little bit ago," Maxine told her.

"Yes ma'am," Sam nodded. "I laid tracks for him."

"You're welcome to go into the house if you want," Mrs. Ely gestured towards the door.

"I'm fine," Sam smiled.

"It's a beautiful day," Maxine smiled back. "Too nice of a day to be stuck indoors. Though I need to go and buy supplies for school."

Jake's mom taught at the local high school and Sam would have her for one of her teachers. Sam felt a bit shy about that.

"I really need to do that too," Sam responded. "Gram's taking me to the mall tomorrow so I can buy new clothes."

"You're a lot bigger than the last time I saw you," Maxine said.

Sam could only nod.

"If you change your mind about going in, feel free to," Maxine stepped off the porch.

"Thank you," Sam murmured, watching Jake's petite blond mother walk towards her car. It was hard for Sam to think about little Mrs. Ely ending up with six sons that were so tall and big.

Sam pushed herself on the swing and waited for Jake. She saw him in the distance about an hour later. She stayed on the porch, waiting for him to come into the ranch yard.

He rode Witch to the barn and Sam got up off of the swing and met him there.

"Hey thanks for the track," Jake said as he dismounted.

"Did you get stuck on the double back that I did?" Sam asked.

Jake gave her an amused look.

"It could happen," Sam laughed.

"Yeah maybe when I'm old and can't see the ground anymore," Jake chuckled.

"Tomorrow?" Sam asked with a grin.

"Day after, maybe," Jake responded with a laugh. "Seriously though. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Sam smiled at him. "I guess I should go home."

"Wanna help me grade the pen?" Jake asked, glancing at her.

"Grade it?" Sam wasn't sure what that was.

"I need to run over the pen a few times with the small tractor to level it out," Jake explained. "We do it every couple of days."

Sam looked towards the pen that Jake's family used to train horses in.

"You can drive the tractor," Jake raised an eyebrow.

"I've never driven," Sam reminded him.

"So you learn how," Jake shrugged. "It's not hard. Basically you push on the accelerator and go."

"And how do you stop?" Sam laughed.

"That's why they make brakes," Jake laughed back. "Come on, Brat. You'll have fun."

He tugged on her arm and Sam gave up and went with him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"Are you sure you want me doing this?" Sam asked him. She looked up at him through her bangs. Jake's mouth went dry, but he ignored it as best as he could.

"Sure," Jake told her. "That pedal there is the brake. Push that in."

He watched as Sam did.

"Okay, pull up that lever," Jake indicated.

Sam did as she was told.

"That's the gas," Jake pointed at the pedal on the right.

"What if I'm left footed?"

"Then you're SOL," Jake grinned.

"Good thing I'm not, huh?" Sam grinned back.

"Yep," Jake rolled his eyes and Sam hit him.

"Now, pull out that knob," Jake touched it and Sam pulled it out.

"Turn the key," Jake instructed and she did.

The small tractor's engine gunned to life. Sam was so surprised, she let go of the knob and the engine sputtered and died.

"Oh!" Sam gasped. "Did I kill it?"

"Nah, you just let go too soon," Jake told her. "Try it again."

He walked her through all the steps again and the engine roared to life. This time Sam held onto the knob until Jake told her to let it go. The engine stayed on.

Sam gave him a brilliant smile and Jake smiled back at her.

"Very easy, push down on the accelerator," Jake yelled close to her ear.

"What?"

"Push down on the accelerator," Jake yelled again.

Sam stomped her foot down and the tractor shot forward, surprising Jake. He snorted and then saw that Sam was pushing down on the accelerator instead of the brake.

"Brake!" Jake yelled at her but she didn't hear him over the engine. "Brake Brat, brake!"

Sam gave a scream as the tractor headed for the rail. Jake swore under his breath and started running.

Sam saw him running alongside of her and he saw how panicked she looked. She inadvertently turned the wheel in his direction and Jake had to dance out of the way or get run over by the tractor.

"Brake!" Jake yelled again but he could tell she couldn't hear him.

Finally, Jake took a running start and tackled her off the tractor. The engine stopped as soon as her foot was off the accelerator. They landed hard on the ground, Jake on top of her.

"Omph," Sam grunted. "Why did you do that?"

"You didn't hear me screaming at you to hit the brakes?" Jake asked, his fear lessening now and his mouth twitched.

"No," Sam shook her head.

"Well I figured you didn't which is why I tackled you," Jake's eyes were full of mischief.

"If you start tickling me I will hit you," Sam warned him. "Now get off of me fat boy."

Jake laughed but didn't move. For a second they looked at each other. Sam's gaze moved down to his full lips and for a heartbeat Jake thought she would kiss him. She didn't.

"You weigh too much," Sam complained.

Jake snorted and rolled off of her. Sam sat up immediately.

"Hey I think that's the first time you got off without my having to say 'uncle'," Sam gave him a look. "Are you sick or something?"

"Or something, I guess," Jake stood up and held out a hand to help Sam up.

Sam dusted off her jeans, not seeing the look of disappointment on Jake's face as he looked at her.

"You want to try it again?" Jake asked.

"Sure," Sam nodded.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

The day before Sam started high school, she was outside with Dad when the white truck bumped over the bridge and into the ranch yard. Dad looked up, frowning at the BLM insignia on the side of the truck.

"What's this?" he asked.

"That's the woman I talked to when Jake took me," Sam informed him.

"What did you do?" Dad wondered.

"Nothing," Sam protested. "I didn't do a thing."

Dad gave her a look as if he didn't believe her. Sam frowned as she followed him out to the white truck. Ms. Olson seemed to smile at Dad as he approached. Sam frowned.

"Mr. Forster," Ms. Olson held out her hand.

"Yes," Dad shook the woman's hand.

"Samantha visited the other day concerned about a feral horse," Ms. Olson said.

Sam groaned under her breath.

"Oh did she?" Dad murmured, looking at Sam. "I'm not sure why, we don't have any feral horses."

"Oh," Ms. Olson looked at Sam.

Sam had to look away since Dad was watching her.

"So you're not missing a horse?" Ms. Olson asked.

"Not a one," Dad frowned at Sam.

"Wyatt?" Gram called from the porch.

Sam groaned to herself. Gram was going to insist that Dad invite Ms. Olson to dinner.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Dad asked and Sam saw the light in his eyes. She almost fell over in surprise. Say no, say no, say no!

"I really don't want to intrude," Ms. Olson's words didn't convey that at all. Sam knew she was being coy.

"Oh too bad," Sam murmured, earning a look from both Dad and Ms. Olson.

Oops, maybe she went too far this time.

"You wouldn't be intruding, right Sam?" Dad raised his eyebrows at his daughter.

"Of course not," Sam lied.

Gram had come down. "It's not much, but we have plenty."

Ms. Olson looked from Gram to Dad. Sam noticed that she didn't look at her.

"Mrs. Forster wouldn't mind?" Ms. Olson asked, looking up at the house like she was looking for someone.

Sam rolled her eyes. How obvious!

"I'm the only Mrs. Forster," Gram told Ms. Olson.

"Oh," Ms. Olson looked at Dad like he was made out of chocolate or something.

"If you're sure, I'd love to," Ms. Olson murmured.

"We're sure," Dad smiled.

Ms. Olson smiled back at Dad and Sam wanted to stick her finger down her throat. Sam started for the house instead.

"Samantha," Gram got her attention. "Set an extra place, please."

"Yes ma'am," Sam nodded, glancing towards Dad and Ms. Olson who looked like they were making gooey eyes at each other.

Oh boy, this could be serious!

It was during dinner that Gram asked if Sam was ready for school the next day.

"I guess," Sam sighed.

"What's wrong, honey?" Dad asked.

Sam picked at her hair. "I hate my hair."

Gram looked like she was going to say that it was Sam's own fault, but didn't.

"You should have spoken up sooner," Gram shrugged. "It's too late to take you tonight."

Sam frowned and nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I used to cut hair in the dorm at college," Ms. Olson said.

"Oh we couldn't," Gram shook her head.

"Of course you could," Ms. Olson smiled at Gram. "You just cooked me the most wonderful meal. Consider it payment for that."

The three adults looked at Sam, who wanted to refuse. Dad gave her a look which said she better not. Sam pasted a fake smile on her face instead. Oh goody!

"What do you need?" Gram asked, starting to get up from the table.

"A pair of sharp scissors should do it," Ms. Olson responded.

"You don't have to do this, Ms. Olson," Dad told her. "Samantha cut her own hair, she can make do with it."

"Please call me Brynna," Ms. Olson said. "I really don't mind evening it up for her."

Gosh, Brynna must really like Dad!

Gram brought in a pair of scissors. Brynna pulled a chair away from the table as Gram started clearing the table. Brynna patted the chair and Sam reluctantly got up and sat down. Dad was giving her the evil eye again.

Brynna started cutting and Sam shut her eyes, not wanting to see what was left of her hair being cut off. She hoped she wouldn't end up looking like an even bigger freak than she already did.

"There," Brynna said some minutes later.

"It looks nice, Sam," Gram nodded, handing her a mirror.

Sam looked and was surprised. There wasn't a whole lot of hair left, but at least it did look like a style rather than the hack job that she had done on herself.

"Thank you, Ms. Olson," Sam told the other woman.

"Please call me Brynna."

"Brynna," Sam said. Something told her that this wouldn't be the last she saw of the woman.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Sam saw the young girl waiting at the bus stop. She was skinny, had long blond, almost white hair and wore glasses. Her first thought was that the girl needed to eat something. Her second thought was she wondered if Quinn and Bryan would try and add her to their harems. Sam snorted.

"Hi, I'm Jen," the blond introduced herself. "You must be Samantha."

"Sam," Sam smiled shyly at the other girl.

Sam could see the other girl checking out Sam's new cropped haircut.

"Jake said you had punkish hair," Jen murmured. "Figures he didn't know what he was talking about."

Sam bristled. Jake was her best friend.

"He hasn't seen it since I got it cut yesterday," Sam informed the other girl.

Jen saw Sam's indignation.

"You and Jake boyfriend and girlfriend?" Jen had to ask.

"No!" Sam yelped. "He's my friend. Just my friend."

"Hmm," Jen murmured.

They heard the bus coming and prepared to climb aboard.

"Of course, I don't see why anyone would want Jake Ely as a boyfriend," Jen said.

"Oh?" Sam bristled again. "Why is that?"

"He's just so…," Jen searched her mind for the right word. "Stuck up, cocky, insufferable."

"Jake?" Sam tilted her head at Jen. "He can think he's right most of the time, but I don't know about stuck up."

"All the same," Jen said as the bus stopped and they got on.

Sam thought about that. Well Jake was the best person with horses that she had ever known. He was also the best tracker in the county if not the state, so maybe he had a right to be a bit stuck up about that stuff.

Sam's biggest complaint about Jake was that he thought he knew more than she did, just because he was two years older. It had always been that way since they had met. Sam enjoyed it when she could prove him wrong or beat him at something.

"That's a cool sweater," Sam said to Jen.

Jen looked down at the bright lime sweater she wore over her blue jeans.

"Thanks," Jen smiled. "I like to shop at second hand shops. They have some of the coolest clothes."

Sam wasn't sure what those were, but she wasn't going to ask and appear stupid.

Jen must have seen it on her face.

"They're places where you can go in and buy clean, used clothing at a real bargain," Jen explained.

"Oh," Sam murmured, embarrassed. "I uh, had a, uh, head, uh…"

"Everyone knows about your accident," Jen said matter-of-factly. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay," Sam was still embarrassed.

"Did you ever find your horse?" Jen asked.

Sam couldn't help but look at her suspiciously. Jen lived on the ranch owned by Linc Slocum who was doing his best to capture the Phantom.

Sam shook her head.

"Too bad you can't get Jake to track him for you," Jen said.

"You know about Jake's tracking?" Sam was surprised.

"Everyone knows about his tracking," Jen laughed. "My daddy says that boy can track a bumblebee in a snowstorm."

Sam laughed. Jake was so good, he probably could. She nodded.

"What classes are you taking?" Jen asked.

The two settled in and talked about school. Sam found out that Jen was sort of a math genius.

"Math is my worst subject," Sam told her. "I'm taking Algebra since I have to, but it's like Greek to me."

"Well aren't you lucky that Algebra is like a second language to me," Jen smiled.

Sam smiled back at her, glad to have met Jen. She vowed to thank Jake later.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"Sammy!" she heard the shout and turned around. She was scooped up immediately into Quinn's arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Jen looked on, the shock showing on her face.

"Hey Bry, go out for a pass," Quinn shouted towards his twin.

"I'm too old for you two to play Samball," Sam told them.

"You're not too old as long as we can pick you up," Quinn countered. He tossed her towards Bryan who caught her easily. Jen's jaw dropped.

"I see you finally lost that wussy pink backpack," Quinn told her, laughing.

"Pink's never been my favorite color," Sam said, still in Bryan's arms.

"Then why did you have it for so long?" Bryan asked.

"Cuz I knew it drove Quinn crazy," Sam grinned back at Bryan's twin.

Quinn started laughing as Bryan tossed Sam back to him.

"Hello, who's this?" Quinn looked down at Jen who was still gaping at the three of them.

"Put me down," Sam told him, hitting his shoulder.

"Do you need Jakey to protect you from this blond?" Bryan asked coming up to stand next to Jen.

"No, this one's okay," Sam responded as she slid down Quinn's body to stand next to Jen.

"This is Jen Kenworthy," Sam indicated the small blond. "Jen, these are my favorite twins in the whole wide world. Quinn and Bryan Ely."

"I knew they had to be Elys," Jen murmured, then stuck out her hand. Both guys shook her hand, their eyes dancing in merriment.

"How'd you know we were Elys?" Bryan teased.

"Was it our handsome faces?" Quinn asked, his grin spreading over his very handsome face.

Jen's jaw dropped again.

"They're conceited," Sam warned her.

"It's not conceit when it's true, Sammy," Bryan responded.

"That's true," Sam grinned up at him and squealed when he picked her up to hug her again. He bent his head to kiss her and Sam moved her face so he kissed her cheek instead.

Quinn laughed, rumpling her hair when Bryan put her down. Sam ducked her head and socked his arm.

"I'm not a dog," Sam grumbled, trying to put her hair back in place.

"Two more years, Sammy," Quinn told her. "Think you'll make it?"

"Of course," Sam retorted.

"Sucks for…," Bryan began and Sam punched his stomach. She knew he was going to say Jake's name. "The rest of us," Bryan finished with a laugh.

"Yeah right," Sam gave him a look and Bryan just grinned at her.

"Do you need help finding your first class?" Quinn asked her.

Sam rolled her eyes. "I'm sure I can find it without your help."

Jen was still just standing there listening to their by-play. Her eyes shifted back and forth between the three of them.

"If you need us, you just holler, Sammy," Bryan told her. "Though Jake should be around to protect you from the blonds."

"He said I couldn't hang around with him at school," Sam responded.

"No!" Quinn yelped. "He didn't!"

"Oh yes he did," Sam nodded.

"Boy's an idiot," Bryan muttered.

"You can hang around with us," Quinn told her.

"I will not become one of the harem," Sam said sarcastically.

"Let us know if you change your mind, Sammy," Bryan teased.

"Yeah, it would serve Jakey right," Quinn barked out a laugh.

"I'm not blond," Sam reminded them with a grin.

"We'd make an exception for you," Quinn gave her a hug before starting down the hallway towards his first class.

"Always, Sammy," Bryan winked and headed in the opposite direction.

"Do you realize that those two are some of the most popular guys in school?" Jen asked Sam.

Sam shrugged.

"I've known them my whole life," she said. "All I know is that they're my big brothers."

"There are going to be a lot of jealous girls if anyone saw you with them," Jen predicted.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Sam's first day was a busy one. She rushed from class to class, not stopping at her locker until just before lunch. She took a deep breath, rolled the dial and tried out her combination. She smiled when it opened the first time.

She dumped off her books and grabbed the sandwich and apple from her backpack and headed into the lunch room. It was huge. She was suddenly besieged with memories from her first day of kindergarten.

Sam was surprised she remembered since her memories were so random after the accident.

She bought a bottle of chocolate milk and found her way to a table and sat down by herself. Sam looked around briefly for Jen or someone else she knew, but didn't see anyone.

She ate her sandwich, taking a sip of her milk every few bites. Sam was just about to start on her apple, when she heard the throat clearing behind her. She turned her head, seeing the dark haired girl in a black leather mini-skirt and some other girls standing behind her.

"You're at our table," the dark haired girl stated. It sounded like she had a slight British accent.

In a moment of pure clarity, Sam remembered this same thing happening her first day of school so many years ago. She sighed. Why did she always end up sitting at someone's table?

"There's plenty of room," Sam pasted a fake smile on her face.

"This is our _private_ table," the dark haired girl clarified.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sam said, not a bit sorry. "I didn't see a reserved sign on it."

She noticed one of the other girls looking at her. Sam's eyes flicked to the other girl's.

"I know you," the other girl, a blond sneered.

Sam had no clue if she did or not. The girl wasn't familiar to Sam.

"You made Quinn break up with me," the blond snapped.

Sam's head lifted, checking out the other girl. The words and the girl were vague familiar.

"I hardly think I _made_ Quinn do anything," Sam responded. "If he broke up with you, then I doubt you were up to his standards." Sam almost snorted. Like Quinn had standards besides alive and willing.

The group of girls gasped.

"You can't speak to Daisy that way," the dark haired girl said.

"Daisy," Sam murmured out loud. "I rode a horse named Daisy once I think."

"Listen cowgirl," the leader sneered. "You're treading on thin ice."

"Hey Sammy," Quinn's voice came to her and she heard the amusement in it.

All the girls turned around to see Quinn standing there with Bryan and a couple of their friends. Jen was coming up behind them, her eyes bugging out behind her glasses.

Once the group of girls saw Quinn, it was like a switch was turned on. They all starting preening in front of him, vying for his attention. He had eyes only for Sam.

"I see you're making friends," Quinn teased, his eyes dancing with merriment. Bryan snorted.

"Yep," Sam tried not to grin.

"No tripping her, Daisy," Quinn turned to the blond. "She's still my little sister."

"I don't know what you're talking about Quinn," Daisy, the blond gushed.

Sam suddenly remembered. Daisy. Her nemesis in elementary school. Sam glared at the blond.

"Oh Daisy, this is sickening," the dark haired girl criticized. "He's not worth groveling over."

"Oh but Rachel?" Quinn's voice took on a silken tone. "I am. Too bad you'll never find that out though."

The dark haired girl looked like she had been slapped.

"Not like Sammy," Quinn winked at Sam and he, Bryan and their friends continued on.

"In your dreams, Quinn," Sam retorted at his back. She heard his chuckle and had to stop herself from giggling at him.

Instead she turned to Jen.

"Hey Jen, come join me," Sam's voice rang out.

Jen asked Sam with her eyes if she knew what she was doing, but came forward and sat down across from Sam.

With a huff, the group of girls left them and went to sit elsewhere.

"Not wise to make an enemy out of Rachel Slocum on your very first day," Jen said.

"That's Linc's daughter?" Sam turned to look at Rachel.

Rachel looked up and narrowed her eyes at Sam.

"She's the most popular girl in school," Jen pointed out. "If not the planet."

"I didn't know this was her table," Sam shrugged.

"Honey, whatever table she wants to sit at is hers," Jen told her.

Jake had been watching across the room. At first he hadn't recognized Sam with her short hair. Then with a shocked look upon his face, he realized it was Sam. He didn't like her haircut, but he smiled at Sam standing up to Rachel, Daisy and their friends, not sure what it was about though. He asked his brothers when they got close enough.

"Sammy was sitting where Rachel wanted to sit," Bryan told him with a shrug. Jake's friends looked towards where Sam was sitting with Jen. They had never heard Jake mention this girl before.

"Sammy being the extremely stubborn girl that she is, wasn't about to get up for her either," Quinn laughed.

Jake snorted.

"Wait, is this the neighbor girl?" Darrell asked, craning his neck to get a good look at Sam.

Jake gave him a look when Darrell whistled. "She's grown up."

"Yep," Bryan laughed. "Though I thought for sure she'd end up clocking Daisy when she recognized her."

Jake chuckled.

"Having Sammy here is going to be fun," Quinn said with a chuckle.

Jake wasn't sure fun was the right word. Maybe interesting would be a better word.

After he and his friends had finished their lunch, they had to walk by the table that Sam and Jen were at in order to leave the lunch room.

"I see you're making friends again, huh Brat?" Jake teased.

Sam thought at first he meant Jen, but when he glanced over to where Rachel, Daisy and the other girls were sitting, she knew he was talking about the confrontation. Sam could tell the other girls were talking about her due to the way they were looking at her.

"I try," Sam grinned at him. Jake choked back a laugh.

"Hey darlin'," Darrell moved in front of Jake.

Sam leaned back a bit in surprise. She had no idea who this person was. Darrell could see it.

"I'm Jake's friend Darrell," he told her.

Jen met Sam's eyes as if she couldn't believe Sam knew this loud mouth.

"Oh yeah," Sam nodded, remembering. "I hear I almost did beat you to high school."

Jake burst out laughing. Darrell grinned and then started to laugh.

"I owe my man Jake for telling you," Darrell glared at his friend.

Sam saw Jake looking at her hair and turned her own glare at him. Jake saw it and shrugged. Then his friends moved off and with a final look at Sam, Jake went with them.

"What was that about?" Jen asked.

Sam told her and Jen started to laugh.

"I think I'm going to like you, Samantha Forster," Jen said. "You have the same sick, sarcastic sense of humor that I do."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Sam and Jen became fast friends after that, even riding together sometimes after school. Sam thought Jen's palomino mare Silk Stockings, called Silly by Jen for her ditsy personality, was beautiful.

Jen confided to Sam that she hated living on the same ranch as Linc Slocum. Sam didn't blame her. She detested the man and how he kept trying to capture the Phantom. So far, he had been thwarted at every turn.

Sam gave most of the credit for that to Brynna Olson. Even though Dad didn't come right out and tell her, Sam suspected he had dated her a couple of times. Dad had left the house all cleaned up, telling her he was going out to dinner. He never said with who which made Sam suspicious.

Gram wouldn't tell her with who either, making her doubly suspicious. Why couldn't he be happy with just her and Gram? Why did he feel he needed to date someone? Hadn't Dad always had bad things to say about the BLM? Why on Earth would he date someone who worked for them?

As unhappy as Sam was about Dad dating Brynna, Sam knew having the woman on her side when it came to wild horses would be beneficial. Maybe she could break them up and still have Brynna on her side. Jen didn't think so and told her so.

"Are you crazy?" Jen had yelped. "You can't try and break up adults. Your dad wouldn't appreciate it."

"No," Sam murmured. "I don't want him getting serious about her though either."

"You could do worse," Jen pointed out.

"At least they're just dating right now," Sam sighed. "It's not like they'll get married."

Jen gave her a look, not believing that Sam actually believed that.

When Sam brought it up to Jake, his attitude was much like Jen's.

"What are you planning on doin'?" Jake asked as the two of them rode one day. It was drizzling. "Brat, you can't interfere with Wyatt's love life."

For a second, all of Sam's sex education came back to her and she gasped. Oh they wouldn't be doing _that_, would they? She blushed as she looked away from Jake.

Jake knew exactly what Sam was thinking about and he rubbed the back of his neck. He was almost sixteen and his hormones were raging. While he wouldn't say it was the _only_ thing he thought about, it was in the top three. Oh heck, the top two. Okay, okay maybe the top thing right along with horses. Girls and horses. Didn't they sorta go together? If he were honest with himself, he wouldn't even say _girls_, but he refused to be honest with himself and skirted around it.

"I'm not planning on interfering," Sam insisted. "I just don't understand why he feels the need."

Jake's head whipped around so fast, he almost lost his hat. Teddy Bear, the curly Bashkir under him started to dance under him.

"He has Gram and I for companionship," Sam went on.

Jake almost started to laugh.

Sam saw it on his face.

"Don't you dare laugh at me, Jake Ely," Sam warned him.

"Brat," he choked. Then he got control of himself, making the horse under him behave.

"I'm sure Wyatt loves you and your Gram, but come on," Jake looked at her.

"Not every man is an Ely," Sam snapped. She hurried Ace away from Jake. Jake looked after her in shock. He would bet most guys, old and young were like his brothers. Okay, maybe not all of them, but a lot.

"Sam," Jake urged Teddy after Ace. The little horse was unsure of himself and Jake hated pushing him, but was afraid that Ace would lose his footing in the wet going.

Instead it was Teddy Bear who slipped on the slick surface and crashed to the ground. Sam heard the commotion and turned in her saddle, watching as Jake was pinned under the horse.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"Jake!" Sam screamed, turning Ace and hurrying him towards Jake.

Teddy had gotten to his feet, Jake slumping in his saddle as he hung on.

"Jake?" Sam whimpered.

"Get my hat," Jake's voice sounded weak to Sam for the first time in her life.

Sam scrambled off her horse to grab Jake's hat. She hurried to stand next to Teddy Bear, trying to rub the mud off of Jake's black Stetson before handing it up. Jake ignored it. Sam wasn't sure he actually saw it, his eyes looked glazed over.

Sam mounted Ace and crammed Jake's hat onto his head. He tried to focus on her.

"Thanks Brat," he murmured. "We need to get home."

"Want me to go on ahead?" Sam asked.

"No," Jake shook his head, urging Teddy forward.

"What hurts Jake?" Sam asked as they rode.

Jake didn't answer.

They rode in silence, except for the clattering of Sam's teeth as her nerves took over. She bit her lip, trying to stop the trembling.

"We need to go faster," Jake told her.

Sam looked at him and saw the pleading in his dark brown eyes. She nodded, urging Ace into a lope. Teddy followed Ace and Sam knew that by the horse bypassing the trot had saved Jake from screaming out in pain.

She saw Jake's leg dangling out of the stirrup and wondered if it were broken. Sam urged Ace a bit faster seeing that Teddy Bear kept pace.

The trip seemed to take forever for Sam who was still trying to control her emotions and be strong for Jake. She saw River Bend in the distance.

"We're almost home, Jake," Sam told him.

Jake still didn't respond except to groan as his horse jumped a puddle.

Dad was waiting for them on the porch when they rode up.

"Daddy, Jake's hurt," Sam yelled.

Dad was off the porch and to Jake in what seemed like one stride. Sam was off of Ace and at Teddy Bear's head almost as quickly. Dallas and the other cowboys ran in from their bunkhouse.

It was decided by Dad and Gram to give Jake some pain medication and then wait for it to kick in before trying to get him off of his horse. Jake groaned as the horse shifted under him despite Pepper, who was only a year or so older than Jake, held the horse steady. Ross, the biggest cowboy was getting in position to help Jake off of the horse, carrying him if he needed.

"How you doin' son?" Dad asked Jake.

"Okay," Jake's voice was beginning to slur a bit.

"Sounds like he's ready," Dad said to Ross and Dallas.

Gram backed up her Buick closer to where Jake was still on the back of the horse. Sam touched Teddy, hoping with her touch to keep Teddy from moving too much and hurting Jake further.

With great care, Ross picked Jake up from Teddy's back and between him, Dad and Dallas, got Jake in the backseat of Gram's Buick.

"Sam, cool out those horses," Dad told her. "We'll call you as soon as we can."

Sam wanted to protest, but the look on Dad's face brooked no argument.

"They won't let you in anyway," Dallas reminded her. "You have to be sixteen. That's why Jake couldn't come visit you when you were there."

Sam had never known that and she nodded as the Buick pulled away, taking her best friend to the hospital.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Jake wasn't in school the next day, but then again Sam hadn't expected him to be. She cornered Bryan as soon as she got to school.

"How's Jake?" Sam asked.

"Ticked off," Bryan put his arm around her.

"At me?" Sam yelped.

"No, Sammy," Bryan shook his head. "Of course not. He's mad at not being able to ride or run for awhile."

"Oh," Sam breathed a sigh of relief. "When is he coming back to school?"

"Prolly in a day or two," Bryan told her, hugging her to his chest.

"Hey, you're trying to steal my girlfriend," Quinn accused Bryan as he came up. "Hey Jen."

"Hi," Jen was surprised. She hadn't known Quinn knew her name.

"Too late, she's already mine," Bryan grinned at his twin.

"Have you kissed him, Sammy?" Quinn quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Not today," Sam stuck her tongue out at him.

"Remember where that tongue is going to be when you're sixteen, Sammy," Quinn grinned at her.

"You wish," Sam sassed him. Both guys laughed at her.

"Hi Quinn," a girl gushed as she walked by.

"Hey," Quinn told her vaguely, then took a second look. Sam snorted.

"See you later, Sammy," Quinn started after her.

"She's not even blond," Sam said to Bryan.

"We're versatile," Bryan teased. "We like you, don't we?" Bryan winked, gave her shoulder a squeeze and then headed down the hallway.

"People are going to think you're dating both of them," Jen shook her head.

"Yeah right," Sam laughed.

"Well I'd say they do," Jen nodded towards Daisy and one of her girlfriends. Sam didn't see Rachel with them, which didn't bother Sam a bit. Rachel Slocum seemed to decide that being nasty to Sam would be her life's ambition.

"I told you how mean she was to me in elementary school," Sam said. Jen nodded. "She blames me for Quinn booting her out of the harem."

"She doesn't realize that her actions caused it, huh?" Jen said as the two started down the hallway to their history class. Jake's mom was their teacher.

"No," Sam shook her head, waiting for Jen to go into the classroom first. Rachel was already there, which surprised Jen and Sam. The two friends glanced at each other. Jen shrugged.

"Hi Samantha," Mrs. Ely greeted her.

"How's Jake?" Sam asked. "Bryan said he's mad."

"Mad is an understatement I think," Maxine smiled. "It's not even twenty four hours and he's already threatening to saw off his cast. I told him over my dead body."

"Saw off his cast?" Sam was shocked. "Gram said the bone was sticking out of his skin."

"Compound fracture," Jen murmured.

Maxine nodded. "It was. How you ever got him back to River Bend is a miracle."

They heard Rachel make a noise.

"So is the cowgirl going to be nominated for sainthood?" Rachel scoffed.

Sam blushed. She was only helping her friend. She hadn't done it so anyone else would praise her.

"That's a nasty thing to say, Rachel," Maxine told her giving the girl a look of disgust. "That's my son that was hurt."

"Oh Mrs. Ely, I'm so sorry that Sam hurt your son," Rachel cooed.

Sam's eyes narrowed. Jen gaped at Rachel, then shook her head.

"Samantha didn't hurt my son," Maxine said between gritted teeth. Then she threw up her hands, realizing that arguing with Rachel wasn't worth the trouble. By then the other students were coming in and taking their seats.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

"I can't believe you," Sam muttered at Jake when she saw him on his birthday.

"What?" Jake wondered.

"I finally get to play football with you guys again and you go and break your leg," Sam complained.

Jake's mouth twitched. "It's not like I did it on purpose."

"Yeah, yeah," Sam muttered under her breath, hitting him.

"Hey, don't hit the cripple," Jake teased, earning himself another swat.

Sam handed him his present.

"Go ahead and open it," Sam urged him.

"Is it going to explode?" Jake asked with a grin.

"No, but Christmas is coming," Sam grinned back at him.

Jake chuckled and pulled the wrapping paper off. He looked down at the gift, stunned. Then he looked up at Sam, who shrugged.

"I saw it and it reminded me of Witch," Sam said.

"Brat, I can't," Jake shook his head. "It's too…"

"I got it on sale and it's not returnable," Sam put her hands on her hips. "So you either accept it or I'll give it to Adam since his birthday is next."

Jake laughed and nodded. "You remember he's in Reno now. You'll have a long drive to give it to him."

"I'll drive the tractor," Sam joked.

"Brat, you couldn't drive it across the pen without almost crashing it," Jake reminded her. His tomcat grin was on his face.

"Technicality," Sam waved her hand in the air.

Jake burst out laughing and Sam laughed with him.

"Sammy!" they heard Nate's shout.

"In here," Sam called to him.

"You're going to be on my team, right?" Nate asked.

"Yeah," Sam nodded.

"Good, come on," Nate waved his hand at her to indicate they were ready for the game.

"This I gotta see," Jake stood up, wobbling on his feet a bit then following them outside.

By the time he made it to the pasture, the teams were already divided. Bryan and Quinn were already trash talking at Nate and Sam. Jake leaned against the fence, taking the weight off his broken leg as he did.

"You hike me the ball then run down the field," Nate was telling Sam. "I'll fake a pass to you, then you come back and block for me if needed."

"Okay," Sam nodded, getting into position.

She took the ball, bent over and looked at Nate through her legs.

"Whoa," Nate groaned, drawing Jake's gaze. He saw what Nate was groaning about and groaned to himself. Nate the perv was watching Sam's butt as she bent over. The round outline was very visible in the jeans she was wearing.

Jake saw Nate turn and look at him, an annoying grin on his face. Jake glared at his brother. It only made Nate start to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Bryan asked as he lined up across from Sam.

"Wouldn't you like to know, little man," Nate grinned.

"Just hike the ball," Jake grumbled, loud enough for Nate to hear.

"I'm getting there," Nate threw over his shoulder. "You can't rush these things."

Jake's eyes returned to Sam's butt as she continued to bend over the ball. He couldn't help it anymore than Nate could. Sam was looking through her legs in confusion at Nate who hadn't asked her to hike the ball yet.

"Hello, I'm still waiting," Sam called out.

"Oh yeah," Nate started to laugh in earnest. "I got distracted. Hike, Sammy."

Sam hiked the ball to him and ran down the pasture like he had told her to. Then she turned back and tried to block Quinn. Quinn put his hand against her head and held her off, laughing the whole time while Bryan tackled Nate.

"Serves you right," Jake called to Nate.

"Oh well," Nate shrugged as he got up. "I just get to do it again." He grinned at Jake and tossed the ball to Sam.

When Sam bent over again, both Nate and Jake looked at her butt. Neither could help it.

"We're missing something," Bryan said to Quinn.

Quinn was watching Nate and Jake and suddenly he started laughing.

"I'll trade you Bryan for Sammy," Quinn called to Nate.

"No way," Nate called back. "Not even if we lose by 35 points am I giving up Sammy."

Quinn barked out a laugh. Sam looked up, confused at the byplay between the brothers. She glanced back at Jake but could see him rubbing his neck. Something was making him uncomfortable.

She finally shrugged and got back in position and Nate called for her to hike the ball.

Sam and Nate ended up losing by 50 points, but Nate was still enthusiastic when he put his arm around her afterwards.

"That was fun, Sammy," Nate was trying to hold in his laughter. "Welcome back. I'm sure Jakey enjoyed it too even though he couldn't play."

"Okay," Sam flicked her eyes to Jake, but he wouldn't look at her. Sam was totally confused.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

"Next game I get Sammy," Quinn said to Nate later after Sam had gone home and the guys were heading to their rooms.

"Over my cold, dead body," Nate laughed.

"I can't believe you were staring at her butt," Bryan laughed.

"You didn't see it," Nate shook his head. "If you had, you'd stare at it too."

"She's fourteen," Jake reminded them, gimping down the hallway after them.

"She won't be forever," Nate gave him a meaningful look. "I think for the first time in my life I didn't care if I won the football game."

"I think we should do rock, paper, scissors on who gets her," Bryan said, with an amused glance at Jake.

Jake chose to ignore him though it was hard.

"I think Jakey has dibs," Quinn teased.

"I don't have dibs," Jake couldn't hold back anymore. "She's my friend."

"Good, then you don't mind if I ask her to the school dance next weekend?" Bryan asked his little brother.

Jake looked at Bryan in surprise. Bryan was grinning at him, daring him to take back what he said.

"Go ahead," Jake shrugged though he hoped that Wyatt wouldn't let her. This thought made him give Bryan his smug tomcat lying in the sun grin. Surely Wyatt wouldn't let his fourteen year old daughter go out with an almost eighteen year old. Would he?

"Thanks, I will," Bryan told him, disappearing into his room.

"Bad move, Jakey," Nate said to him. "You practically dared him."

"I'll keep an eye on them for you, Jake," Quinn volunteered, a smirk on his face.

Oh yeah right! Quinn would be trying to move in on Bryan if Sam ended up going with him.

Quinn knew Jake knew what Quinn was thinking and with a chuckle he too disappeared into his room.

"Maybe Wyatt won't let her go," Jake said to Nate.

"If you're lucky," Nate laughed softly. "Remember what we told you. If you don't claim her soon, someone else is gonna."

"She's fourteen," Jake insisted.

"You saw her butt," Nate reminded him. "She's not a little girl anymore. Oh she may be fourteen, but you know guys aren't going to let that stop them. You need to claim her or you'll lose her."

Jake rubbed the back of his neck. Nate knew he was torn on what to do.

"I'm not telling you to get engaged, but go back to being protective of her," Nate suggested.

"She hates that," Jake groaned.

"Maybe, but you'll scare away other guys until you're both ready," Nate shrugged. He patted Jake on the back before going to his room and shutting the door.

Jake sighed. He had some thinking to do. He went into his room and lay down on the bed, his hands under his head as he looked up at the ceiling.

As far as he could see it, he ran the risk of really ticking her off if he became protective of her again. When he had been on roundup, she had been furious.

He was unsure of what to do. Jake basically wasn't sure if Sam cared for him like he did her. As he had since her accident. The realization that he loved her after her accident still pulled at him. He wasn't sure if he cared _that way_, but he knew he was pretty close.

Jake thought about her a lot, but her age kept him from trying to declare himself. That plus she had just returned. He wasn't sure if he had the right to declare himself to her yet.

Jake decided to wait and just be the best friend he could to her. Maybe glowering at other guys that looked her way would help too.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

"Hey Sammy," Bryan cornered her the next day in school.

"Hi Bryan," Sam smiled at Jake's brother.

"Wanna go with me to the dance next weekend?" Bryan asked.

Sam glanced at Jen whose jaw had dropped.

"I'm not part of your harem," Sam reminded him.

Bryan laughed. "No harem, just us."

Sam met Jen's eyes. Jen's eyes were huge behind her glasses.

"I, ah, I," Sam stammered. She glanced away from Bryan to see Jake staring at them. He didn't look very happy.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked.

"Sure, I'm sure," Bryan's eyes were dancing.

"Bryan, you're a senior," Sam leaned in to whisper to him.

"Are you trying to tell me I'm too old for you, Sammy?" Bryan laughed.

"No," Sam dragged out the word.

"Think about it and let me know," Bryan said as the bell rang. The girls ran for their history class.

"I can't believe he asked you," Jen said. The girls barely made it before the late bell rang. Sam wondered if she had been late if she could have told her teacher she was late because she was stunned at her son.

Sam snorted and Jen looked at her. Sam told her what she had been thinking.

"Somehow I doubt that would work," Jen laughed.

"Something smells," Rachel Slocum sneered a few minutes later.

"I bet it's the horse poop on the cowgirl's boots," Daisy sneered in response.

"Oh give it a rest, Daisy," Jen rolled her eyes. "Even if Sam did have manure on her boots, it beats the crap you take a bath in and call perfume."

Sam choked back a snort.

"Okay ladies, knock it off," Mrs. Ely told them.

Sam turned towards the front, but not before she met Jen's eyes and the two friends grinned at each other.

During lunch Sam and Jen were sitting at a table when Rachel, Daisy and their friends stopped in front of the table.

"You're sitting at our table," Daisy told them.

"That's your table," Jen turned and pointed.

"We decided we want this one," Rachel's accent was thick today.

"Oh well," Sam shrugged. "I guess you should have gotten here sooner."

"Move it, cowgirl," Daisy snapped.

"You move it," Sam stood up.

"Uh oh, Jake," Darrell pointed. "Looks like your girl is about to clock Daisy."

Jake turned and looked.

"Oh for…," Jake grumbled. He started to get up.

"What are you going to do, bro?" Darrell asked.

"Remind her of the sure suspension and grounding," Jake muttered, gimping towards Sam.

Sam saw him coming. She took a deep breath and sat back down. Her eyes flicked to Jake's and she saw the amusement in his as he stopped. He gave her a second and then nodded and went back towards his table.

Sam and Jen tried ignoring the other girls who finally gave up and sat at their usual table.

"Why don't you just admit it?" Darrell asked Jake when he returned.

"Admit what?"

"That you care for her more than just her being the neighbor girl," Darrell responded.

Jake shrugged which surprised Darrell. Usually Jake just denied it.

"Whoa," Darrell murmured. "Things _have_ changed."

"Not really," Jake shook his head. "She's still just fourteen."

"That's all?" Darrell shrugged.

"Bryan asked her to the dance next weekend," Jake looked up at Darrell.

"No kidding?" Darrell yelped. "Whoa dude!"

"Yeah," Jake looked over at Sam who glanced at him at the same time. She smiled her thanks and Jake's expression softened for just an instant, surprising Sam.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

"Can I go to a dance next weekend?" Sam asked when she got home.

"A dance?" Gram asked. "Did Jake finally ask you?"

"No," Sam shook her head with a frown. "Bryan did."

"Bryan Ely?" Sam could tell Gram was surprised.

Sam nodded.

"Oh my," Gram murmured. Sam had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from commenting.

"You'll need to ask your father," Gram told her.

"Why, because it's Bryan?" Sam tilted her head at her Gram.

"You are just fourteen," Gram shrugged.

Sam knew if it _had_ been Jake, there would be no question that she could go. Her family trusted Jake absolutely even though he blamed himself for her accident. Sam wondered if Bryan's reputation was well known to her Dad and Gram. If so, she might not be going to the dance.

Sam was surprised when Brynna Olson came to eat dinner with them. This was serious. Sam didn't want to ask Dad about going to the dance with Brynna there, but wanted to know if he'd grant permission. Maybe having Brynna there would mellow him out enough to let her go. Sam almost snorted at the thought of Dad being mellow.

Sam asked Dad just before they sat down to dinner. She had made sure all of her homework was done, she had set the table and even helped Gram with dinner before asking. Not that Dad ever gave brownie points for those things, but it couldn't hurt at this point.

"Bryan Ely?" Dad questioned.

_Sheesh, just how many Bryans did they know?_

"Yes," Sam said instead.

Gram and Dad exchanged a look. Brynna looked between the three of them.

"I would have thought…," Dad began, then cut off.

"Jake's got a broken leg," Sam reminded them.

"Bryan's got a bit of a reputation," Dad said.

"Bryan, like Quinn, Jake, Adam, Nate and Kit, are my big brothers," Sam responded. "I used to go camping with them."

"You used to go camping with six boys?" Brynna was surprised and her voice showed it. She looked at Dad like he was crazy. Sam narrowed her eyes at the woman. Butt out!

"They were like your brothers," Dad said. "You're all a bit older now."

"They're still my brothers," Sam shook her head. "I just want to go to the dance. I like to dance. I don't want to marry Bryan and I promise we won't run off to Reno to do it." She hoped it sounded like she was making a joke, not being sassy. You never knew with adults.

Dad gave her a look and Sam sighed. So much for her joke.

"You can go," Dad told her. "No kissing, no date, just dancing."

Sam blushed but nodded. "Thanks Dad."

"In by 10:30," Dad added.

"I'll make sure he knows," Sam said.

"The only reason I said yes was because he's an Ely and I know how those boys were raised," Dad continued.

Good thing Dad didn't know they were all pervs despite the way they were raised. She'd keep that little bit of info to herself.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Sam was excited to go to the dance. She had never been to a dance with anyone before. She had discovered she liked to dance and was pretty good at it while she had been in San Francisco. Sam and her friend Pam danced a lot in one of their apartments when there weren't any adults around.

She was dressed casually in jeans and a sweater. Bryan was dressed the same but told Sam that she looked nice. Bryan drove to the dance in Nate's truck.

"Are you going to get a truck for graduation too?" Sam asked Bryan.

"I think I'm going to get an SUV instead," Bryan told her. "I know Quinn wants one. Can't let him be the only one who rides in style."

Sam snorted and Bryan laughed.

"I bet Jake gets a truck," Sam said.

"Oh no doubt," Bryan agreed. "With Jake it's not about style, it's about purpose."

Bryan gave her a look and Sam wondered at it. Bryan could see it on her face.

"He wasn't happy tonight," Bryan decided to tell her.

"About what?"

"Your going with me," Bryan told her.

"Why should he care?"

Bryan raised an eyebrow and Sam turned away to look out the window. She felt the blush in her cheeks.

"You have to know he cares," Bryan said.

"We're friends," Sam shrugged.

Bryan snorted this time and Sam glanced at him.

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy," Bryan teased.

"Will he be there?" Sam asked.

"Jake at a dance?" Bryan yelped in amusement. "Not unless forced by Mom. I think though he might have chanced it if Mom hadn't told him he had to stay home and rest that leg."

"It's bothering him," Sam knew by the way he walked and the fatigue on his face that the leg bothered Jake sometimes.

"Yeah," Bryan nodded. "He's not one to take it easy."

"Unlike you and Quinn," Sam teased.

Bryan laughed. "We work hard when we have to."

"Yeah, when your dad's watching," Sam laughed with him.

Bryan laughed harder. "We're going to have fun tonight, Sammy. Have you been to many dances?"

"No," Sam shook her head, hoping she didn't make a fool out of herself. What if the dancing in San Francisco was different than the dancing in Nevada? Did they just do country line dances here or did anyone listen to more urban or hip hop music?

"We'll still have fun," Bryan predicted.

"Will you tell me if I'm making a fool out of myself?" Sam's voice squeaked.

"What are you planning on doing?" Bryan teased, pulling into the school parking lot.

"I'm not sure what kind of music is played at dances in Nevada," Sam admitted.

"A little bit of everything," Bryan told her. "Just follow my lead and you'll be fine."

"You're a good dancer or are you going to embarrass me?" Sam joked.

"Sammy, I'm a great dancer," Bryan promised. "You'll be amazed."

"Oh will I?" Sam smiled. "I seem to remember it was Nate who did the dancing in the family."

"That's Indian dancing," Bryan reminded her. "This is real dancing. Just like they say, 'good dancers make…' uh, never mind." Bryan shook his head, not believing what he almost told her.

"Make good what?" Sam inquired.

"Sorry Sammy, I shouldn't have said that," Bryan got out of the truck.

"Why?"

"Because Jake would kick my butt if he knew," Bryan laughed, tucking her hand into his.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

Sam looked around the gym as they arrived at the dance. It was already busy and the music was thumping out of the speakers. She recognized the song and gave a sigh of relief that it wasn't a twanging country song. It wasn't necessarily hip hop or urban but it was closer to that than country.

She saw a few of her classmates and was happy that she wouldn't be the youngest person here. Of course, she would bet she was the only freshman with a senior. Seniors didn't normally even notice freshmen and knew that if it weren't one of Jake's brothers, she wouldn't have been noticed either.

"Sammy!" Quinn's voice carried to her and she found herself picked up.

"No Samball," Sam warned him.

"Well that sucks," Quinn gave her cheek a kiss and put her down. Sam saw three or four girls nearby and wondered if these were his dates. Only two were blonds.

"She's _my_ date," Bryan reminded his twin.

"We're twins, we share everything remember?" Quinn teased.

"You don't have enough dates?" Sam raised her eyebrows at him.

Quinn leaned into her. "I'll dump all of them if you dump Bry," Quinn whispered.

Sam laughed. Quinn's mischievous eyes had given him away.

"You're such a faker," Sam told him.

Quinn just shrugged.

"Come on, Sammy," Bryan tugged her onto the dance floor. Sam waved at Quinn and went with his twin.

Sam had the song that was playing on her iPod and it was one of her current favorites. The producer of the song was well known for his heavy bass tones. Sam loved most of the songs by this particular producer.

_She's got an appetite that won't stop  
The way that she's dancing should be against the law  
She likes to show off  
Her body act like the life for a party  
And make it hard for you to keep her  
And it's just a matter of time  
For it starts to play with your mind  
She's supersonic and her eyes are so hypnotic  
I used to think that she was innocent, girl. _

At first Sam followed Bryan's moves. Then as the song went on she let her body take over since she was familiar with the song.

_She's got the passion  
That girl is dangerous  
Better be careful  
That girl is dangerous  
Beautiful Hard way  
That girl is dangerous  
She's dangerous, dangerous_

She'll do anything for a good time  
She'll break your back it sounds like last time  
She's so exotic and it's so amazing  
She's the perfect girl for any occasion  
And it's just a matter of time  
For she starts to play with your mind  
That girl is evil and her love should be illegal  
You'll get to close her fear all ... wanna be her 

Sam moved her hips, her eyes shut. Bryan danced around to behind her, their hips moving to the beat together. From across the room, Jake's friend Darrell watched the two of them, surprise on his face. Sam was a really good dancer.__

She's got the passion  
That girl is dangerous  
Better be careful  
That girl is dangerous  
Beautiful hard way  
That girl is dangerous  
She's dangerous, dangerous

Oh here she comes  
Acting all sophisticated  
So new like u can't upgrade it  
Can't hate it  
And and and and  
Oh here she comes  
With the diamonds all in her ear lobe  
Blue tooth all in her hear hole  
Check how the story unfolds  
You in VIP and she's scheming up a plot  
You pushing up them bottles and she pushin up her top  
She gives you little stares as you rubbin thru her hair then  
She shake her derriere  
And and and and  
You just thinking the draws might drop  
Well I'm just thinkin' she's counting out your knot  
You feeling on your shirt pockets like you've been shot but  
You really been got  
Let's rock 

Bryan's hands strayed to Sam's hips as they danced. Sam leaned against his chest, her upper body moving separately from her lower body. Bryan was enjoying dancing with Sam. Once she let go, she really got into the song.__

She's got the passion  
That girl is dangerous  
Better be careful  
That girl is dangerous  
Beautiful hard way  
That girl is dangerous  
She's dangerous, dangerous

"Now that was fun," Bryan told her when the song ended. The next song began immediately and the two of them started dancing again.

Quinn interrupted about halfway through the third song. He grabbed her and pulled her to him, Sam laughing up into his face.

The song was unfamiliar to her, but she could see by the other kids who were dancing that it seemed to be a favorite.

_I think I saw your body before I saw your face,  
The kind of moves you made where wakin up the place,  
Then you favourite song came on the one you love,  
You come over to me,  
Looked in my eyes and said for sure,  
You had your hands all over my body tonight,  
You didn't care about respectability,  
With people staring cos you really made a scene,  
It must of looked liked we were doin it for real._

You Said,  
Where I come from we don't play around,  
And when its time to party we know how to get down,  
And where were goin baby you don't have to worry bout a thing,  
Take my hand,  
Move your body up and down,  


Sam's startled eyes met Quinn's laughing ones as the words to the song came to her. Oh my gosh, they were pretty suggestive and she knew Quinn realized that she hadn't known it._  
_

Sam blushed and Quinn laughed softly. Sam couldn't believe that the teachers here as chaperones would allow this song.

"They aren't listening," Quinn told her as he leaned closer to shout into her ear.

"I guess not," Sam was hesitant to continue to dance to it.

"Come on Sammy, we're just dancing," Quinn laughed. "Not like I expect you to act out the lyrics."

Sam blushed again, causing Quinn to laugh harder.

_Cos,  
Where I come from we don't play around,  
And when its time to party we know how to get down,  
And where were goin baby you don't have to worry bout a thing,  
Take my hand,  
Move your body up and down,  
And,_

Where I come from, no, we don't play around,  
No No,  
And where I Come from, yeah, we get down, we get down,  
So move your body up and down and  


"Jake is going to kick your butt," Bryan predicted to Quinn when the song ended. Sam was still blushing.

"Are you going to tell him?" Quinn wondered, a grin on his face.

"I won't have to," Bryan nodded towards Darrell.

"Well that makes things a bit more fun," Quinn laughed. Bryan shook his head at his brother. He hadn't been kidding about Jake getting mad knowing the suggestive nature of the song that Quinn had danced to with Sam.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

"Are you insane?" Jake was waiting for Quinn in the family room when he got home from the dance. Their parents had already gone to bed.

"Gosh, Darrell's worse than a gossipy old lady," Quinn laughed.

"If Wyatt finds out his daughter was dancing to a song that suggestive, he'll ground her for life," Jake said, not amused by his brother at all.

"Why should he care if the teachers there allowed it?" Quinn shrugged.

"Oh come on, Quinn," Jake shot his brother a dirty look. "You know most teachers don't listen to the words."

"Like I told Sammy, it's not like I expected her to act it out," Quinn told him.

"You didn't," Jake gaped.

"She was embarrassed," Quinn grinned.

"She's just fourteen," Jake reminded him for what had to be the hundredth time.

"I lost my virginity at fourteen," Quinn countered.

"What's going on?" Bryan came into the family room and heard the two brothers.

"I can't believe you said that," Jake stood up as quickly as he could with the full cast on his leg.

"Whoa, both of you knock it off," Bryan stepped between his brothers. "What's the matter?"

"Jakey heard about the song I danced to with Sam," Quinn said.

"Which one?" Bryan laughed.

"Guess," Quinn grinned.

"Oh boy," Bryan laughed harder. "I saw her blushing when she figured out the lyrics."

"You noticed she didn't stop though," Quinn laughed with him.

"Oh for…," Jake rubbed the back of his neck.

"Jakey, you should have seen her," Bryan kept laughing. "That Sammy is quite a dancer."

"You know what that means," Quinn raised an eyebrow as he looked at his little brother.

"I almost slipped and told her that," Bryan was really laughing now.

"Oh you didn't!" Quinn burst out laughing.

"You two are ridiculous," Jake grumbled.

"You only say that because you haven't _danced_ yet," Bryan told him.

"Only because I'm not a guy whore," Jake retorted.

If he had hoped that would stop the twins, he was sadly mistaken. It only made them laugh harder.

"Jakey, Jakey," Quinn shook his head as if he were disappointed. "You're giving the Ely name a bad rep."

Jake's jaw dropped. Bryan snorted.

"I give up," Jake quickly made his way out of the family room, down the hallway and to his room.

They heard his door slam shut.

"He is so clueless," Quinn grinned.

Bryan nodded in agreement. The twins high fived each other before going into the kitchen to get something to snack on before they went to bed.

In his room, Jake flopped over on his back as he lay on his bed. His leg was really hurting and he didn't doubt that it was due to the stress he had been under wondering what was going on at the dance with Sam. Then he had really stressed out when Darrell had called him on his cell phone from the dance.

What had his brothers been thinking?

Jake snorted. He knew what his brothers had been thinking and what they had been thinking _with_! Wyatt would lock Sam up until she was thirty if he knew the type of song she had been dancing to. If Jake had been there, he probably would have stormed out onto the dance floor and hauled Sam off.

Wouldn't Sam love that!

She'd prolly hit him before she kicked him in the groin.

Jake laughed out loud. He couldn't help it. He could picture it in his mind as sure as if it had happened. She was his Brat and he didn't want her any other way.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

The next week, Sam was walking home from the bus stop when she saw a couple of loose horses. She tried to get them to follow her, but they spooked and ran off towards Three Ponies. Sam knew they didn't belong to Jake's family. She watched them until they disappeared from view before heading across the bridge and into the ranch yard.

"Hi honey," Gram greeted her when Sam came into the house.

"I just found some horses," Sam told her grandmother.

Gram looked out the window.

"They ran off towards Three Ponies," Sam explained.

"Some of their horses get loose?" Gram asked.

"They weren't Three Ponies horses," Sam shook her head. "I know all of their horses. Rocky's the only paint they have right now and these were mares."

"Paint mares?" Gram mused. Sam nodded.

"I wonder if they could be Trudy's horses," Gram was thoughtful.

"Who?" Sam asked.

"Mrs. Allen," Gram explained. "She's always been partial to paints."

The witch lady? Sam recoiled.

"Now come on, you can't honestly think she's a witch," Gram laughed.

"All I know is that she sicced her dogs on Jake and me once," Sam shivered.

"You must be mistaken," Gram told her.

"I know what I saw," Sam was adamant. "She yelled at us and sicced her dogs on us."

"Those little things," Gram scoffed.

Sam was getting angry and frustrated. She had been maybe five or six at the time and the dogs chasing her horse had been frightening.

"Why don't you go and make sure the horses made it home," Gram suggested.

"To that house?" Sam yelped.

"I just made some peach jam," Gram went into the pantry. "You can take it to her."

"To that house?" Sam repeated.

"Yes, to that house," Gram told her and Sam knew she was stuck now when Gram used that tone.

"I need to change," Sam tried to put it off.

"Go change and then you can leave," Gram said. "It shouldn't take you long. I've seen you rush to go riding with Jen."

Yep, she was stuck going to the witch house. Sam frowned as she dragged herself up the stairs.

She took as much time as she could, but Gram finally called up to her telling her to hurry or she'd end up missing the fried chicken dinner she was making. Sam knew bribery when she heard it and went back down. Gram's chicken dinner was known throughout the county as one of the best. She had won prizes for her fried chicken.

Gram handed her a jar of peach jam and Sam put it down as she put on her warm coat. She smashed her Stetson onto her head and with a mutinous look at Gram, she went out to saddle Ace.

"I hope she doesn't eat kids for dinner," Sam muttered to herself.

She put the jam in her saddle bags before tacking up her horse and swinging up onto his back. Sam rode Ace over the bridge and turned left. She really didn't want to do this.

Sam looked into the Three Ponies' yard as she rode by a bit later. She wished Jake wasn't hurt, she'd stop and ask him to go with her.

When she reached Mrs. Allen's ranch, Sam took a deep breath and went up the lane until the lavender house came into view. It had faded a bit since Sam had seen it last. It still looked spooky to her though.

She tied Ace to the broken hitching rail, seeing the paints she had seen earlier now in the paddock. At least she now knew for sure where they belonged if they got loose again.

Sam grudgingly walked through the metal gate, the spikes on the fence making her heart beat faster in her chest. She hadn't even knocked on the door yet and the devil dogs started barking.

"Who's there?" a voice shouted through the door.

"Mrs. Allen?" Sam tried to keep her voice steady. "I'm Grace Forster's granddaughter. She sent some peach jam for you."

"Leave it on the porch and get out," Mrs. Allen yelled.

"Grateful," Sam muttered under her breath.

"Your horses were loose earlier," Sam shouted through the door. She could hear the dogs jumping against the door.

"They're not now," Mrs. Allen responded. "Go away."

"Not a problem," Sam said, leaving the jam and running back the way she came.

Sam untied Ace, mounted as quickly as she could and rode out of there.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

Sam and Jen were at the bus stop the next morning when they saw the tangerine colored truck barreling down the road towards them. Sam wasn't sure about Jen, but Sam was shocked and took a few steps back as the truck stopped in front of them.

"Which one of you is Samantha Forster?" the elderly lady asked.

Neither girl spoke.

"Well, come on," she snapped. "Speak up."

"I'm," Sam's throat was dry and she swallowed. "I'm Samantha."

"Tell your busy body of a grandmother to mind her own business," the lady said.

Sam set her jaw to keep it from dropping.

"That's rude," Jen responded.

Sam nodded.

"I'm sorry," the woman sighed. "I'm having a bad morning. Do you want me to drive you to school?"

Both Sam and Jen took a step back, shaking their heads. No way Sam ever wanted to go anywhere with this crazy woman. This had to be Mrs. Allen.

"We were just concerned about your horses," Sam told the woman.

"I know," Mrs. Allen responded. "Though why I still have horses I don't know."

"Horses keep you young," Jen spoke up. "That's what my dad says anyway."

"You must be that Kenworthy girl," Mrs. Allen stated. "You need to eat more."

Sam snorted but choked it back with a cough.

"I have all that land and just three horses," Mrs. Allen continued. Sam and Jen met each others' eyes. Was the woman talking to herself?

"Get some more," Jen suggested with a shrug.

"The BLM has some that need homes," Sam put in.

"I'll think about it and let you know," Mrs. Allen said. "That might be an idea though. I've always liked wild horses. My ranch is on the outskirts of wild horse country."

That got Sam's attention.

"Do you know the Phantom?" Sam couldn't help but ask.

"I wouldn't say I know him," Mrs. Allen was sarcastic.

Jen sucked in a breath in outrage.

"He shows up a lot though," Mrs. Allen went on.

"Really," Sam murmured. "Maybe I can help you if you go up to Willow Springs."

They heard the bus coming and both girls picked up their backpacks.

"I'll let you know," Mrs. Allen said, gunning the engine and barely missing the bus as she drove away.

"We have to promise never to drive like that," Jen said.

"Not a problem," Sam agreed.

"I can't believe you volunteered to help that mean old woman," Jen continued once they were on the bus.

"If it helps the horses," Sam shrugged.

"She was downright mean," Jen pointed out.

"Jake and I used to think she was a witch," Sam told her.

"Was?" Jen snorted.

Sam giggled.

"Gosh I'd hate to think I actually agree with Jake about something," Jen frowned.

Sam swatted her friend. Jake and Jen didn't get along. Sam figured it was because they were both competitive and liked to think they knew everything about anything. She loved them both despite that fact. As friends, of course.

Sam had to make sure she amended that in her head.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

"I suppose I have you to blame," Jake confronted Sam in school a few days later.

"It's not my fault," Sam held up her hands.

"I'm out of here," Jen made her exit.

"Who else is to blame?" Jake wondered.

"Gram," Sam responded. "She volunteered us to bring the horses to Deerpath. I think she forgot about your leg though."

Jake gave her his smug tomcat grin. Sam tilted her head at him, not getting what he was so smug about. His grin spread at her confusion.

That's when she noticed that he was wearing boots. Two boots.

Her mouth fell open and she closed it with a smack of her lips. Then it fell open again.

"You are insane!" Sam yelped, not caring that people turned to look at them. "My gosh, you are insane!" Her voice rose.

Jake took her arm in his hand and propelled her out of the main hallway. "Pipe down."

"Jake!" Sam shouted. "You had a bone sticking out of your leg. Are you crazy?"

Jake didn't say anything.

"How did you do it?" Sam asked, her voice no longer echoing off the school walls.

"Hacksaw," Jake said proudly.

"What did your parents say?" Sam was flabbergasted.

"Mom's mad," Jake shrugged. "Dad didn't say much which got Mom even madder."

"And people think I'm crazy because of my head injury," Sam muttered.

It was the wrong thing to say. Jake looked like she had slapped him.

"Oh stop it," Sam told him, rolling his eyes. "I just had a cracked skull. You had a bone sticking out of your leg."

She took a breath.

"You're going to regret it," Sam tried calming down.

Jake shrugged.

"My gosh, you are such a dumb cowboy," Sam grumbled. "Do you realize this is going to be a three hour rodeo?"

"Yeah, cool huh?" Jake grinned and Sam wanted to smack him.

"I give up," Sam threw up her hands and stalked away from the crazy person who had cut off their leg cast with a hacksaw.

"We're not done," Jake yelled after her.

"Crazy person," Sam yelled back, twirling her finger next to her ear.

"Talking about yourself, cowgirl?" Rachel Slocum sneered.

Ha! If she only knew how sane Sam was compared to the crazy person who had cut off their leg cast with a hacksaw!

Sam saw Mrs. Ely in front of the room and Sam walked towards her.

"Your son is insane," Sam muttered.

"You saw him," Maxine responded. "I don't need to tell you to be more specific about which of my sons is insane."

"I couldn't believe it," Sam said, shaking her head. "He would nag me for the next twenty years if I did that, after calling me all kinds of idiot."

"He'll pay for it someday," Maxine sighed.

Sam nodded, going to find her seat.

"What happened?" Jen asked quietly.

Sam saw that Rachel and Daisy were trying to listen in without appearing to do so.

"Someone cut off their cast," Sam responded just as quietly.

Jen's jaw dropped.

"Exactly," Sam told her, shaking her head at what Jake had done.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

Sam was waiting for Nate to come and pick up Ace and her to take them to Willow Springs. She, Jen, Jake, Bryan, Quinn and Nate would herd fourteen horses to Deerpath Ranch for Mrs. Allen. It promised to be a lot of fun.

They were allowed to skip school today in order to do this. Sam couldn't believe that Dad had given his permission. Then she thought of Brynna Olson and suspected that she was involved in this somehow.

Dad and Brynna were dating. There was no doubt about it, nor did Dad try and hide it. He didn't exactly announce it, but he also didn't sneak out of the house when the two of them went on dates. It was just too creepy for Sam to think about.

Were Dad and Brynna…? Sam shivered in the ranch yard. No, she couldn't think about that. Sometimes she wished she had never taken those sex education classes. Sometimes ignorance _was_ bliss.

Nate's gray truck turned in and came over the bridge towards her. She smiled and waved at him and Nate waved back from the driver's seat.

"Hey Sammy, ready for this?" Nate asked.

"Yep," Sam responded, going to Ace and untying him.

Nate dropped the ramp to the trailer and Sam lead her gelding into the trailer, tying him next to Witch. The big black mare snorted at Sam, but didn't lay back her ears.

"Your master is insane," Sam told the mare and then jumped out of the trailer.

Nate put the ramp back up and Sam went around to the passenger side of the truck and got in and fastened her seat belt.

"How's Jake?" Sam had to ask.

Nate gave her a look as he started his truck.

"Hurting though he'd never admit it," Nate confided.

"I won't tell him you told me that," Sam promised. "I still can't get over he did that."

She shook her head.

"Yeah, Mom's still not talking to him," Nate laughed.

"Gee, I wonder why," Sam couldn't laugh. She hated that Jake would have problems with his leg for years, if not forever.

She had asked Gram about it who had paled and then confirmed that there was no way the leg could have healed after only a month. She too had felt that Jake had set himself up for leg problems for the rest of his life. There wasn't any way he couldn't at this rate.

Nate pulled into Gold Dust Ranch to pick up Jen too. Jen was waiting with Silly and Nate repeated lowering the ramp for Jen to load her mare.

Sam heard a commotion and Jen's shout and guessed that Witch wasn't so happy to see Silly.

"Why is it that Jake can gentle any horse he touches, except his own?" Jen fumed as she climbed into Nate's truck.

Nate was chuckling as he got in and started up the truck.

"Jake just says she's sassy," Sam shrugged. "He likes them sassy."

She felt Nate's gaze and looked over at him. Nate's eyes were dancing with merriment. Sam knew he was thinking how he and his brothers thought Sam was sassy.

"What?" Sam challenged him.

"Not a thing, Sammy," Nate choked on his laughter, pulling out towards Willow Springs.

"Humph," Sam mumbled under her breath.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

Sam stood in the yard at Willow Springs while Jake talked to Brynna about what they were going to do. Even though Nate was the oldest there, Jake seemed to be in charge. Sam knew that Brynna had met Jake previously but adults always trusted Jake for some reason. Even if he was an idiot who had cut off his cast.

Sam snorted, earning looks from everyone else. She waved her hand in the air as she coughed back her laughter. Jake met her eyes and she could see the humor in his. She would bet he knew what she was thinking. Sometimes he just appeared to be able to read her mind.

If he did know what she was thinking, he was secure enough to find it amusing. Goodness knows she had told him he was an idiot for cutting off his cast plenty of times. It shouldn't be a surprise to him.

Sam snorted again.

Jake's mouth twitched as he finished up with Brynna, nodding slightly. He walked towards Sam and she couldn't help but notice that he was limping a bit.

"Don't say it," Jake warned her.

"Why not?" Sam put her hands on her hips. "You'd say something to me."

"That's different," Jake chuckled.

Sam stuck her tongue out at him.

For a second, Sam thought he'd respond in kind but he didn't.

"Come on, we need to review what we're going to do," he walked towards the rest of the group.

"We discussed it yesterday," Sam complained.

"Quit being a brat," Jake teased.

"I'm not a brat," Sam countered, sticking her tongue at him again.

"'Course not," Jake chuckled.

Sam smiled at him and the two of them each thought how at ease they were with each other. They exchanged soft looks, not noticing that the others were grinning at each other, seeing the looks that Sam and Jake exchanged.

"Sam's gonna ride drag," Jake announced. "I'll ride on the right near the front. Nate will ride on the left near the front. The rest of you spread out along the sides where ever you feel comfortable."

The other five nodded.

"Brynna's gone to open the gates so go ahead and mount up," Jake told them.

Sam and Jen met each others' eyes. _Brynna?_ Jen rolled her eyes before turning to her horse and mounting her. Sam mounted Ace.

"Holler if you have any problems," Jake rode Witch near Sam.

"Okay," Sam nodded. She didn't think Jake or anyone else would be able to hear her yells over the sound of the pounding hooves, but she agreed anyway.

Jake turned in the saddle, hearing the horses coming.

"Be careful," Jake told her.

Sam nodded again. Jake was in overprotective mode, she could see. There was no talking him out of it so it was easier just to nod.

Jake's mouth twitched before he rode off. Sam giggled, knowing he knew what she was doing.

He glanced at her over his left shoulder and Sam's mouth went dry. His handsomeness hit her again, catching her by surprise. She rarely thought about Jake as a handsome man. He was just her friend to her, but every once it awhile it hit her and she couldn't help reacting.

Sam's eyes slid away from his. There was no way she wanted him knowing. She was afraid he'd tease her unmercifully if he did. Either that or not want to be her friend anymore. Sam wasn't sure which would be worse.

Then she shook her head. His not being her friend would be worse. She could take his teasing if it meant he still liked her. She would be lost without Jake in her life. She knew it as sure as she knew she needed air to breathe.

Sam refused to analyze it more than that. Right now they had horses to herd to Mrs. Allen's.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Sam almost gave a cowgirl yell as she and Ace followed the herd of wild horses. Up ahead the horses were running for the love of running. Jake on the right sat his mare easily and once again Sam was amazed at what a horseman he was.

Almost as if he felt her gaze, Jake glanced over his shoulder at first worried about her, then his gaze softened before he turned back again. Sam grasped Ace tighter with her knees. If he looked at her like that very often, she could definitely find herself with a huge crush on him.

_Oh Samantha, you already have a huge crush on Jake Ely_, Sam chastised herself. She knew it though she didn't like to think about it very often.

Suddenly she heard the hoofbeats behind her and she turned in her saddle. The Phantom was racing up, coming closer with each stride. He was a thing of beauty as he ran.

"Zanzibar," Sam whispered, hoping her horse could hear her.

As he pulled up alongside of her, she met his big brown eyes and Sam knew he had heard her say his secret name.

Sam couldn't help reaching out to him. Ace shifted under her and Sam felt herself falling. She cried out, grabbing Ace's mane, the saddle horn or anything else she could to keep from falling. Her legs hurt as they tightened on the horse.

Unknown to her, Jake had heard her cry out over all the noise. He turned and almost fainted upon seeing her almost fall off of Ace while at a full gallop. If she fell, more than likely would be killed. Jake's heart fell and thudded in his chest as he watched her right herself. Then and only then was he able to take a normal breath.

His gaze slid to the horse running next to her. Once again, that horse was at fault. Jake's anger at the gray stallion built in him. If looks could kill, that horse would fall dead on the desert floor.

The silver stallion bolted past Sam and Ace to run up on Bryan and Rocky. Bryan did a double take as he saw the horse keep pace with him for a few strides. Then the stallion put on a burst of speed and passed Rocky like he was standing still.

Next in line was Jen on Silly. The mare slowed down so fast as she gazed at the stallion that Jen almost pitched over her head.

Quinn yelled to Nate from behind Jake and Nate looked over his shoulder to see the Phantom bearing down on him and his new Appaloosa Bramble. Bramble matched strides for about a half a mile before he too fell back.

Jake watched as the stallion cut in front of the lead horse in the herd, coming after him on Witch. The Phantom rolled an eye at him with an angry snort and Jake knew without a doubt that the horse was telling him that he remembered Jake.

Witch laid back her ears and bared her teeth as the stallion raced by. Jake didn't correct his horse. He could care less that his mare challenged the stallion.

The Phantom gave a squeal before putting on another burst of speed and leaving them all behind. All six of the riders watched as he headed for the foothills and disappeared.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

Sam walked the Deerpath property. It was after midnight and Sam wasn't able to sleep. It wasn't due to the earlier excitement of herding the wild horses.

They had reached Deerpath where Mrs. Allen had welcomed the mustangs with open arms. She had been smiling as she held open the pasture gate where they would reside.

The six young people had all shouted and high fived each other in excitement. It had been a blast and all of them couldn't think of anything they would rather do while everyone else they knew were in school.

They cooled out their horses and Sam slipped Ace's bit and loosened his cinch.

"Are you all right?" Jake asked, standing next to her.

Sam looked over at him and knew he knew that she had almost fallen.

"I'm fine," she sighed, hoping he wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

"You almost weren't," Jake was reminding her. As if she needed reminding she had almost fallen and broken her neck.

"But I am," Sam countered.

She glanced at him and knew he was furious, but grateful she was okay.

"I'm fine," she said again.

"Come on, Sam," Jen called to her.

Jake's dark brown eyes told her they weren't done.

Sam turned and almost ran to Jen.

"What's with him?" Jen asked, noticing that Jake was watching Sam, his hands clenched in fists.

"He's being over protective again," Sam answered.

"What else is new?" Jen looked back at Jake.

"I'm his little sister," Sam shrugged. "He feels he needs to make sure I don't fall and skin my knee."

"That was fun, huh?" Bryan put one arm around Jen and one around Sam.

"Sure was," Jen agreed.

"Kinda cool seeing the Phantom," Quinn said as he came up behind them.

"Yes," Sam breathed, any sighting of her horse was considered a gift by her.

She glanced back at Jake who was now coming towards them. His expression was blanked out, not giving away his thoughts to her or to anyone else.

The meal that Gram had served them was a rowdy one. The six riders rehashed the drive over and over as they ate.

Mrs. Allen had asked Sam if she would spend the night watching over the mustangs for her. Sam had first glanced at Jake who wasn't looking at her, then at Gram who nodded.

"I'd love to, thanks," Sam told the older woman.

Now as Sam walked the property, she felt unseen eyes watching her. Was the Phantom here? Sam tried to peer into the darkness but didn't see anything.

She felt a shiver and started back towards the barn where she had a sleeping bag. Sam heard a step behind her and screamed when the hand touched her shoulder. A hand clamped over her mouth a second before she recognized Jake.

Sam bit his hand.

"Ow," Jake complained. "Why did you do that?" His hand came away from her mouth.

Sam punched his shoulder as hard as she could.

"Ow," Jake groaned, rubbing his shoulder.

"You almost scared me half to death," Sam snapped at him. She hit him again. "Why do you insist on doing that?"

"Are you making fun of my heritage?" Jake asked and Sam could hear the humor in his voice.

Sam made a rude noise and Jake chuckled. This was his Brat at her best.

"Couldn't you sleep either?" Sam asked.

"No," Jake shook his head. "We have unfinished business."

"Oh?" Sam wondered.

"That horse," Jake bit out. "You could have been killed today."

"But I wasn't," Sam pointed out, her voice as forceful as his.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Jake was incredulous.

Sam folded her arms over her chest.

"Don't you dare get stubborn on me," Jake warned her.

"Or what?" Sam snapped.

"So help me, Brat," Jake's jaw was clenched. "I will turn you over my knee and treat you like the five year old you are acting like."

"You and who else?" Sam yelped.

She was bumped from behind and spun away to land on the ground. Sam looked up to see the Phantom run by Jake. Jake took the flat of his hand and smacked the horse's rump.

Sam heard the angry squeal from the stallion as he whirled. The horse struck out with a foreleg and Jake froze, recognizing the challenge. His and the Phantom's dislike for each other was coming to a head right then. Jake remembered all the times when he had helped Sam train the colt, that he felt the horse didn't like him. Now there was no doubt of it.

Sam scrambled to her feet just as the Phantom started forward, intend on running Jake down.

"No," Sam screamed, waving her arms at the silver stallion. She pictured Jake laying broken and bleeding under the stallion's deadly hooves and she cried out again.

The horse slid to a stop in front of her, looking at Sam in betrayal. With a toss of his head and a snort in Jake's direction, the horse disappeared into the darkness.

She turned to Jake.

"Are you all right?" she whispered.

"Are you?" Jake asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Sam continued to whisper.

Jake could see her eyes as she looked up at him. His own eyes took in the perfectness of her face. When had she gotten so beautiful? He had never noticed that here face had lost its youthful roundness and now the planes of her face were that of a woman and not of a little girl.

For a moment, Sam thought he was going to kiss her and she stepped away from him.

"I need to go," Sam sounded almost desperate.

"Sam," Jake groaned as she ran away from him.

He _had_ been going to kiss her. When she had needed to, she had chosen _him_ over her horse. Jake had wanted nothing as much as he had wanted to kiss her just then, yet she had eluded him.

Did she detest him so much that a kiss from him was so unwanted? He rubbed the back of his neck and turned for home, vowing never to even think about kissing her again.

© 2008 - LB

Characters © - Terri Farley


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